Part of Speech: Verb

Definition: “to ingratiate oneself with : curry favor with”

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brownnose

Found In: “All-American Girl” by Julia Alvarez line 14 – “as brown-nosing or cries of alegria”

Explain: The word brown-nosing means to act nice or use flattery to gain favors. This helps me better understand the poem because she is saying that if being polite means brown-nosing then crying because of joy could be understood as terror or sadness.

Part of speech: verb

Definition: Give a new name to.

Source: Oxford Dictionary

Found in Franny Choi’s “Choi Jeong min”, line 15, eighth stanza

“my father ran through all his possible rechristenings — / ian, isaac, ivan — and we laughed at each one,”

I first thought that rechristening might’ve meant her father converting to Christianity and trying to choose a baptismal name that will also be his English name. Most definition I found don’t say rechristening is explicitly something baptist/christian, but I think Choi’s use of the word is still deliberate. Despite what religion her father follows, she’s comparing his decision of an English name to be as heavy and grand as a baptism because the name he chooses will be what he goes by in his new life in a western country, much like how baptisms represents a new life under God to christian converts.

Part of speech: Noun

Definition: A governor who oversees the land and the mountain.

Source: Wikipedia

This word is found in Franny Choi’s “Choi Jeong min”, line 8, fourth stanza

“i wanted to be a writer & worried/ about how to escape my surname — choi”

Knowing what Choi means doesn’t add to the poem directly, but I do know names in most East Asian countries carry cultural significance beyond linguistics. Going by that I understand that there are two meanings behind what Franny Choi is conveying, a desire to assimilate to American literature by not using her foreign last name and a desire to get away from the ethnic background and culture she were raised in because of internalized racial shame.

Part of Speech: noun

Definition:is a Korean dish similar to a Western stew. There are many varieties; it is typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with gochujang, doenjang, ganjang or saeujeot.

Source: Words at Dictionary

Choi Jeong Min by Franny Choi

“My Korean name is the star my mother cooks into the jjigae to follow home when I am lost.”

The word “Jjigae” is a Korean dish and in the poem the author shares how her name is like the main part of Jjigae when her mom cooks it.

Part of Speech: noun

Definition:foreigner, especially a person of Philippine, Korean, or Vietnamese

Source: Words at Dictionary

Choi Jeong Min by Franny Choi (Line 5)

“Already Knew to let my salty gook name drag behind me in the sand, safely out of sight”

The word “Gook” is a term used to express a foreign name especially a Korean, Philippine person. In the poem she expresses that her name is a very foreign Korean name.

Gluttony

Part Of Speech-Noun

Definition-greedy or excessive indulgence

Source -Webster Dictionary

Choi Jeong MIn

Franny Choi

They make them into these greedy people but then get mad when they actually become these selfish greedy people.

Oppressed

Part Of Speech-Adjective

Definition-Subject to harsh and authoritarian treatment.

Source -Webster Dictionary

Found in ” Hair” by Elizabeth Acevedo (line 17)

This word expresses  how people from different races go through oppression because of the way they look.

Blossomed

Part Of Speech-Verb

Definition- mature or develop in a promising or healthy way.

Source -Webster Dictionary

“Folding My Clothes”

Julia Alvarez

This word is explaining how the girl is growing because now it says her feet grew

Leer

Part Of Speech-Verb

Definition-look or gaze in an unpleasant, malicious, or lascivious way.

Source -Webster Dictionary

Julia Alvarez

“All American Girl”

This is another word that also describes how she vie the way Americans speak.

Spite

Part Of Speech-Noun

Definition-a desire to hurt, annoy, or offend someone.

Julia Alvarez

“All American Girl”

This word in the context is showing how the person is trying to be american and thinks this word is how Americans portray themselves.