Almost American Girl: List 1

by Robin Ha
In this memoir, told in graphic form, Robin Ha recounts her experiences as a young immigrant from South Korea.

Here are links to our lists for the memoir: List 1, List 2
25 words 1211 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. dashing
    lively and spirited
    Unlike the dashing heroes in comics, real boys were weird and covered in zits.
  2. kindred
    similar in quality or character
    You and I are like kindred spirits, lonely and bored out of our minds.
  3. bumpkin
    a person who is awkward, uncultured, or unsophisticated
    My first syllable, "Chun," was often used as the name of country bumpkin characters in comedy shows on TV.
  4. androgynous
    having both male and female characteristics
    I was always drawn to androgynous female characters in Korean and Japanese comics because I was a tomboy too.
  5. surreal
    characterized by fantastic and incongruous imagery
    It was surreal to be surrounded by so many non-Korean kids.
  6. genre
    a kind of literary or artistic work
    Since then, I have never stopped reading comics of all genres.
  7. taunt
    harass with persistent criticism or carping
    After that day, these boys taunted me whenever they saw me.
  8. rigid
    incapable of adapting or changing to meet circumstances
    I was too young to understand just how rigid Korean culture could be.
  9. wreak
    cause to happen or to occur as a consequence
    I made friends and we loved to wreak havoc.
  10. divert
    turn aside; turn away from
    Mom was a master at diverting gossip by working extra hard to be successful.
  11. dingy
    gloomy or depressing
    When I was a toddler we lived in a dingy room in the back of a tiny hair salon.
  12. apprentice
    someone who works for an expert to learn a trade
    And I was her warrior apprentice.
  13. hostile
    characterized by enmity or ill will
    ...I'd be stripped of everything I worked hard for. And cast out in a strange and hostile land.
  14. demure
    shy or modest, often in a playful or provocative way
    Lena was demure and feminine: the kind of girl that my friends and I would mockingly refer to as a princess.
  15. confront
    present somebody with something, usually to criticize
    All the adults confronted her that evening.
  16. insolent
    marked by casual disrespect
    An insolent little brat like you doesn't deserve a gold star.
  17. ordeal
    a severe or trying experience
    I kept my ordeals at school a secret from my mom because I was ashamed.
  18. chronic
    long-lasting or characterized by long suffering
    All this was so stressful for me that I developed a chronic stomachache.
  19. spiteful
    showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt
    Ashley's spitefulness seemed far more upsetting than that of my third-grade teacher, because she was my new family.
  20. tyranny
    dominance through threat of punishment and violence
    The only way to be free of her tyranny was to learn English.
  21. novelty
    originality by virtue of being refreshingly new
    Eventually, the novelty of being the foreigner wore off.
  22. monologue
    a long utterance by one person
    By the end of the night, Diane just talked to herself in a monologue.
  23. savvy
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
    Mom wondered if Mr. Kim was savvy enough to run his own business.
  24. docile
    willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed
    What really drove Mom nuts was how docile my stepaunt was.
  25. persistence
    steady determination
    Her persistence paid off.
Created on Wed Jul 29 08:32:59 EDT 2020 (updated Wed Jul 29 10:26:43 EDT 2020)

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