Room to Dream

Mia hands the letter, along with copies of her columns, to Jose to give to Lupe. Then she writes an apology to Jason and mails it, along with more copies of her columns, to him. Finally, Thursday arrives, and Mia waits for her friends on the benches. After what seems like forever, Jason and Lupe approach.

Jason immediately apologizes: “I’m sorry I kissed you without asking. Your columns, they really made me understand. I feel awful” (270). Mia forgives him, grateful to be back on track with her friend. Jason admits that he’s been facing discrimination at his new culinary school: He was teased for making Asian food and endured rude, racist comments about it.

Lupe adds that she’s bullied as well. The high school kids are mean to her, but still cheat off her in class. Mia apologizes for writing about both of them and not telling them for so long. All three agree to be better friends: Mia will write more ethically and will come to Jason’s cooking competition, Lupe will improve her school/life balance, and Jason will work on his impulse control and anger issues. They hug and feel their friendship coming back to life.

Mia asks Dad if he can still drive her to the county clerk’s office.

In the car, she gathers her courage and asks if he’s still considering getting a job in China. He tells her that he wants to provide for her so she can go to a nice college. He asks if she really wants her friends to know her dad cleans a motel for a living. Mia insists she doesn’t care: “Dad, the only person who cares about that is you” (276). They can make the money in the United States together, as a family. Mia reminds him that she’s his lucky penny.

At the county clerk’s office, Mia examines several records that list the businesses that were recently bought by major corporations. When she looks at the records for the Topaz and the Lagoon, she is surprised to see they were bought by Vacation Resorts, the very corporation that is now trying to buy the Calivista. Vacation Resorts and Mega Magna Hotels are the same company.

Hank was right about how big corporations operate: “After they cut prices, they’d wipe out the competition. Once they owned practically all the hotels in Anaheim, there was no telling what they were going to charge!” (277). Mia returns to the front desk to work on the rest of her story for The Anaheim Times. Hopefully, between the investors meeting and Mia’s exposé on Vacation Resorts, they’ll be able to stop the sale.

On the day of the big decision, Mr. Cooper is confident the sale will go through. Mia has other plans. She stands up and tells the investors she has new information. She reveals what she learned: Vacation Resorts is actually Magna, and selling will mean handing over their motel to the enemy.

Mr. Cooper wants to move forward anyway, even admitting that he knew this fact whole time. He leaves, telling the group that no matter what they do, he will still be selling his shares.

At home, Mia’s mom tries to calm the family after the heated meeting. She reminds them of the situation: “They can’t do anything with twenty percent […] Magna would need fifty percent or more in order to tell us what to do” (284). Hopefully, no one else will decide to sell their shares.

Dad mentions that not selling will mean waiting even longer to get a house. Mom insists she doesn’t need it; she just needs a partner who supports her. Hank tells them he won’t sell his shares either. They are a family.

Mia awakens to Mom’s voice the next morning. Mom is on the phone with Lao Lao, explaining that they can’t sell the Calivista, so they won’t have more money to send for her new apartment. Lao Lao tells Mom not to worry; she wants to stay in her current place. Lao Lao tells Mom to let her know if she, Dad, and Mia need anything. They’re family, and Lao Lao and Lao Ye will always be there to help. Mom thanks her and hangs up.

Mia and her mom go to Mia’s room and sit on her bed. Mom looks relieved and says, “You were right, Mia. Just because something’s embarrassing doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it” (288). Just then, loud chanting can be heard from outside the motel. Dad rushes in and tells them to come outside.

In front of the Magna, a huge crowd has gathered to protest, including several of the small business owners who Mia interviewed. They all hold signs that encourage protecting small businesses and warn the Magna to stay away from the Calivista. Mia’s article has worked: Giving the facts in an unbiased way moved people to action. Mia and her parents join the protest, hoping that maybe it’s enough to stop the sale. That very night, they return to a call from Mr. Cooper.

Mr. Cooper tells Mia that Magna Hotels withdrew their offer. He says she’ll never make it in business with her attitude, to which Mia replies, “Oh, I think I’ve already made it, Mr. Cooper. I got an entire corporation to back down with just my words!” (290). She hangs up and rushes to tell the others the great news.

Jason is at school the next day, back from his suspension. He passes out apology notes, stopping to give Mia one too. He apologizes for ruining her date with Da-Shawn, and Mia quickly corrects him: It wasn’t a date, she and Da-Shawn just friends. Mia then does something Jason thought would never happen: She apologizes for rejecting him in such a mean way all the way back in fifth grade. Mia never thought she’d apologize for that either, but now that she knows how much rejection can hurt, and “how deep words could cut” (292), she feels he deserves it from her. She offers to tutor him so he can still go to the cooking competition.

Mrs. Yao is wary of Mia coming to watch the competition, but Jason insists he wants her there. Mrs. Yao reluctantly agrees, then asks Jason what he’s going to make. When he tells her he’ll be making “a lychee salad wonton cup appetizer” (293), she worries that the judges will never give him a good score. The entire industry has consistently made rude remarks about Chinese food. Jason tells Mia about a specific incident: “[A] food critic […] actually wrote that a restaurant was pretty clean ‘for a Chinese restaurant.’ The critic proceeded to trash Chinese eateries in the country, writing that they were ‘all so gross’” (293). Mia makes a note to investigate this topic as a potential story. Mrs. Yao begs Jason to make a French dish instead, but Mia tells him to make whatever he wants.

When it’s time for judging, Jason’s opponents have all made European pastries. When the judges get to Jason, they lift up wonton wrappers. The judges admire the crisp and ask if he was going for a similar texture to a tortilla chip. Jason replies, “Actually, I was going for wonton soup, the kind my mom used to make when I got home from school” (296). The audience loves it, but no member as much as Mrs. Yao. She immediately relaxes and starts to smile at how their family food had brought them together.

Jason wins the competition, and they return to the Calivista with the leftover wontons to celebrate. The whole event gives Mia the great idea of opening a restaurant at the Calivista.

This final chapter skips to August, several months after the events in the book. The restaurant is open; it’s called “East Meets West” (298) and will feature both Jason’s Asian-fusion cuisine and Hank’s famous burgers. Additionally, Mia’s idea to do a piece on restaurant discrimination paid off. Ms. Addison was so impressed that she suggested Mia submit it to The New York Times, where it was published.

Mia gets more fan mail after the piece, but her favorite letter is from Popsicle Grandpa. He writes, “I know life’s not always easy for you and your parents. But you are making a difference in the community with your voice” (299). He thanks Mia for always writing with honesty.

With the success of the restaurant, Dad takes Mia, Jason, and Lupe to Disneyland, which they’ve been dreaming of doing for ages. As he’s dropping them off, he offers them some money, but Mia refuses it. She has her column money; Lupe, who works at the desk again, has money from that job; and Jason has money from the restaurant. Dad smiles proudly and tells them to have fun. With their friendship renewed, they enter the park together. Mia now knows the power of friendship and perseverance, which can make dreams a reality.