Ah-Kim Chang (Kimberley Chang)
Ah-Kim Chang (Kimberley Chang) is the protagonist of the story. The little girl from Hong Kong struggles to succeed in school, find friends, help her mother, work and just survive in New York. Being an incredibly bright student, Kimberley manages to gain a scholarship to Harrison High School. Although she is the black sheep, who doesn’t have a lot of friends, wears the cheapest clothes and doesn’t always understand English her classmates use, Kimberley earns the highest grades. Extremely slowly, step by step, Kimberley and her mother struggle to improve their lives. Kimberley is extremely ambitious, she is determined to save both her mother and herself from poverty and hard work at her aunt’s factory. When she has to choose between love and a bright future, she chooses the latter.
Mrs. Chang
Mrs. Chang is Kimberley’s mother. She used to be a music teacher in Hong Kong, but as soon as she moves to the USA, she has to give up on it. She works hard to provide Kimberley at least with food and a roof above their heads, but her attempts can hardly be considered successful. Mrs. Chang understands neither Americans nor their culture, but she doesn’t care about it, for her only one concern is Kimberley’s future.
Aunt Paula
Aunt Paula is Mrs. Chang’s elder sister and Kimberley’s aunt. Her husband, Bob, is an owner of the factory where Mrs. Chang and Kimberley work. In spite of the fact that Aunt Paula claims that she cares about her sister and niece, she doesn’t. The woman doesn’t do a thing to help her sister to improve her life in the USA. What is more, Aunt Paula is jealous of Kimberley’s success, for she doesn’t want them to leave the factory. She enjoys her sister’s distress.
Uncle Bob
Uncle Bob is a husband of Aunt Paula. He is an American Chinese, who came to Hong Kong many years ago to choose a wife. He planned to marry Kimberley’s mother, but she refused. Aunt Paula became his wife instead of her. Uncle Bob seems to be spineless man in comparison with Aunt Paula.
Nelson and Godfrey
Nelson and Godfrey are sons of Uncle Bob and Aunt Paula.
Mr. Boggart
Mr. Boggart is Kimberley’s middle school teacher. More often than not, Kimberley thinks that he is a racist. However, this assumption needs to be proved. What is known for sure is that Mr. Boggart is a misogynist, who always makes jokes about women
Tyrone Marshall
Tyrone Marshall is Kimberley’s classmate and her first boy crush. Just like Kimberley, he is accepted to a prestigious high school. Unfortunately for young Ms. Chang, the boy doesn’t seem to reciprocate her feelings.
Annette Avery
Annette Avery is Kimberley’s best friend from the times of middle school. The girl proves to be a loyal friend to Kimberley. She doesn’t seem to care that other children think that Kimberley is weird. Once Annette manages to learn where Kimberley lives and shows up there. When she sees the terrible flat, without central heating and full of cockroaches, the girl understands that Kimberley’s life is not that easy as she used to think. She begs Kimberley to accept her help, for Annette’s mother is an estate agent. Mrs. Avery does help and soon enough Kimberley and her mother leave slums of Brooklyn and move into a little, but very comfy flat in Queens.
Mrs. Avery
Mrs. Avery is Annette’s mother.
Matt Wu
Matt Wu is a Chinese boy Kimberley meets at the factory. As they grow older, Kimberley starts feeling the strong attraction between them. Matt thinks that he is not good enough for her and starts dating Vivian, but when his mother dies he breaks up with Vivian and comes to Kimberley. They date for a short period of time. Matt would be happy to marry Kimberley and live with her in Chinatown, but Kimberley would never be satisfied with such a life. They break up eventually and he comes back to Vivian. Matt thinks that Kimberley gets an abortion and the mere thought that she doesn’t want to have a child with him breaks his heart. They meet twelve years later from their break up. Kimberley is a pediatric surgeon and Matt delivers pizza. He is quite happy with Vivian and their little daughter, not to mention that they are expecting one more kid soon, but he still loves Kimberley with all his heart. They accept that they are too different. However, he doesn’t know that Kimberley doesn’t get an abortion. His son, Jason, lives happily with Kimberley and his grandmother. He looks just like his father and this makes Kimberley happy.
Park
Park is a younger brother of Matt.
Vivian
Vivian is girlfriend of Matt. Later on, she becomes his wife. They live in Chinatown.
Mr. Jamali
Mr. Jamali is a librarian at Harrison High School.
Curt
Curt is Kimberley’s classmate. The boy fancies Kimberley a lot, but she is in love with Matt. However, they are great friends.
