My Favorite Chaperone

“My Favorite Chaperone” is a short story written by Jean Davies Okimoto, a children’s and young adult (YA) literature author. It was published in 2004 in the anthology First Crossing, which collects short stories about the teen immigration experience. Like many of her stories, it explores cultural diversity, family dynamics, and coming of age. Alongside her short stories, Okimoto has published dozens of books and has won awards like the American Library Association's Best Books for Young Adults Award.

This guide refers to the version of the text that is freely available here.

“My Favorite Chaperone” is the coming-of-age story of Maya Alazova, a ninth-grade American Kazakh girl. Maya and her family live in Kazakhstan, a former USSR country in Central Asia, at the start of the story, but their situation is precarious because of an economic crisis. Her parents lose their federal teaching jobs, and they sell a lot of their possessions to survive. Maya’s aunt, Madina Zhamejakov, puts an ad in an “international dating magazine” and finds an American husband, Bob Campbell (4). She marries him and goes to the United States, then sponsors Maya and her family’s immigration. When Madina’s husband gets transferred to Chicago for work, the Alazovas are left all alone in a new and unfamiliar land.

Mr. and Mrs. Alazova are conservative and strict with their children, and they generally do not allow them to socialize after school or participate in after-school activities. However, Maya’s father loves sports and allows her to join the gymnastics team. Maya is thrilled because it is a safe haven for her, and she gets to be with her friend, Shannon Lui, who is also on the team. Shannon’s grandparents immigrated from China, but her parents were born in the United States, and Maya admires Shannon’s ability to culturally assimilate.

One day, Maya receives a permission slip for the Spring Fling and is confident that her parents will not sign it. Nonetheless, she fantasizes about going. Soon after, she is called to the principal’s office, where she is told that her brother, Nurzhan, has been suspended from Evergreen Elementary, and they need her help contacting her parents. Maya’s parents also don’t speak fluent English, so Maya will have to translate for them. Nurzhan was in a violent fight with another student, Ossie Nishizono, who told Nurzhan he’d “never be a real American” (9). This was not the first time that Ossie bullied Nurzhan, but this time, Nurzhan lost his temper and struck Ossie.

Maya contacts her father through his taxi dispatcher and asks him to come meet with the principal. She is anxious and afraid of how angry he might be when he shows up, but she is also proud of Nurzhan for standing up to his bully. Although the school acknowledges the racist nature of Ossie’s remarks and extends its sympathy toward Maya and Nurzhan, they have to follow the school policy of suspending all parties in a fight.

The principal informs them that the fight was serious, that Ossie Nishizono needs two stitches at the hospital, and that both boys will receive a two-day suspension. When Maya translates, she leaves out the details that she feels might infuriate her father and advocates for a softer punishment. He is still furious, but Nurzhan appreciates her intervention. When Maya’s mother hears about the suspension, she reassures Nurzhan but accuses Maya of not doing anything to stop the fight (even though Maya goes to a different school). While Nurzhan insists that his big sister standing up for him would make things worse, their mother insists that “[i]n Kazakhstan, if someone insults you, they have insulted everyone in the family. And everyone must respond” (14).

The following day brings a lot of fun and excitement for Maya, but unfortunately, it is short-lived. After gymnastics practice, she and Shannon hang out with boys from the wrestling team, on whom they have crushes. Maya likes Daniel, but she is shy and does not interact much with him. The boys, who are messing around, scoop the girls up in their arms and strut around in a circle. Maya enjoys this attention and is giggling when her father happens to pass by the school in his taxi. He is enraged and takes her home. Maya is panic-stricken and trembles in fear.

When they reach home, he yells at her mother for raising Maya poorly. Her mother, in turn, blames him for letting her join the gymnastics team. Both parents fail to notice that Maya is not with them; she locks herself in the bathroom and daydreams of running away and being welcomed by the Luis. Her parents take out some of their anger on Nurzhan when he tries to defend her, which makes Maya feel worse. Her parents don’t talk to her for the next few days.

A week later, Mrs. Alazova injures herself when she falls at work and is using crutches. Maya takes on her cleaning jobs while she recovers, skipping gymnastics practice and going straight to her mother’s clients’ homes. After work, she returns home and makes dinner for everyone. Apart from that, she continues to help Nurzhan with his homework like she usually does. Between school, work, and housework, she is exhausted. She makes mistakes while cooking dinner like cutting herself and burning a chicken, and while her mother appreciates her help, her father still does not.

Maya gives up all hope about going to the Spring Fling, but Nurzhan volunteers to help her by getting Mr. Alazova to sign the permission slip. He is successful, but Mr. Alazova insists that Nurzhan chaperone Maya at the dance. To spare Maya the embarrassment, Nurzhan suggests that she tell her friends that she is babysitting him. Maya is thrilled to go to the dance and she agrees.

On the day of the Spring Fling, her mother gives her a gold bracelet to wear to the dance. She says she received it herself at 16, but “[g]irls and boys dance younger here, Maya. So you wear this now” (23). She also calls Maya a "good girl,” which makes Maya feel delighted and content. Nurzhan accompanies her to the dance, and she tells Daniel that she is babysitting him. Nurzhan quietly takes a seat in a corner, and when Maya and Daniel dance, Nurzhan slips away to the bathroom to give them space. Maya has a great time and falls asleep thinking of Daniel and how she’d love Nurzhan to chaperone her at the next dance.