Stealing Buddha's Dinner

Buddhism is a constant presence in Bich’s life, but she often misunderstands it. How, in the case of the stolen plum in Chapter 13, does Bich come to realize her mistake? What is different between her initial conception and the reality of Buddhism?

What is it about the way that people talk to and act around Bich that makes her feel that she isn’t allowed to be in the club of girlhood? How does Bich’s warped perception of girlhood affect her relationship with her sisters and friends?

How does Bich’s family change through the course of Stealing Buddha’s Dinner? Illustrate this change using examples of the shift in language in the final chapters.

Food plays an essential role in Bich’s cultural development. How do her three cultural backgrounds play into this development? What does each kind of food contribute to her identity?

How does Bich’s relationship with popular culture and television affect her understanding of herself and her family structure?

Little House on the Prairie is one of Bich’s favorite books as a kid, as she feels close to Laura Ingalls and sees similarities between the pioneer and immigrant narratives. What are those similarities? How is this complicated by the realization Bich has about the racial content of the book?

When Bich goes on strike and demands Rosa start making better food, she gets her wish and is served Kraft macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, and Noodle Roni, but ultimately it is underwhelming and the “tension had drained [their] appetites” (128). How does this reflect similar experiences in which Bich’s fantasies of American life meet her reality?

How is Bich’s relationship with motherhood explored throughout the memoir? What role, positive or negative, do adult women play in her personal-identity formation? How does the absence of her birth mother affect these relationships?