Imposter Syndrome & Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim: Part III

by Patricia Park
A descendant of Korean immigrants who had initially settled in Argentina, high school senior Alejandra Kim does not feel like she belongs in either her diverse New York City neighborhood or the private school she attends on a scholarship.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part I, Part II, Part III
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    Laurel seethes. “I hate that I got into Princeton. I do not want to end up like one of them.”
  2. plight
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
    Poor you. I should be more sympathetic to Laurel’s plight.
  3. impartial
    free from undue bias or preconceived opinions
    As I transcribe interviews with the test subjects, I think about Dr. C’s advice warning me not to get too emotional. In her lab, I’m supposed to be an impartial scribe.
  4. subsume
    contain or include
    Some people go along to get along. That’s a survival tactic. Others subsume the pain and trauma that come with cultural displacement.
  5. repercussion
    a remote or indirect consequence of some action
    But we have no idea the extent of the psychological repercussions of absorbing that trauma, particularly for first-genners in the Asian community.
  6. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
    Dr. C lets out a wry laugh.
  7. allotted
    given as a task or a portion
    There are twenty-two million Asians in America, yet we’re allotted only 0.17 of a percentage point of the National Institutes of Health budget.
  8. corporal
    affecting the body as opposed to the mind or spirit
    “Corporal Life Insurance”—probably spam.
  9. endowment
    the capital that provides income for an institution
    I thought Whyder met full need. They have a two-billion-dollar endowment. That’s a big part of why I applied.
  10. imperative
    requiring attention or action
    It is IMPERATIVE that we celebrate. Drop what you’re doing and jump on the F.
  11. vestige
    an indication that something has been present
    We’ve left the hipsters and stroller parents and all vestiges of Laurel’s world behind.
  12. kvetch
    express complaints, displeasure, or unhappiness
    “What do you think they’re going on about?” I ask.
    “Kvetching about their kids.”
  13. precarious
    fraught with danger
    The wood tracks of the roller coaster feel rickety and precarious, which adds to the thrill of potentially getting smashed to smithereens on the way down.
  14. extravagance
    excessive spending
    The bobbed woman goes, “Heavens, no! We don’t need that extravagance.”
    Customers are funny like that. Drop-off service is only a dollar extra. But I guess they pick and choose what they feel guilty about spending their money on.
  15. funky
    stylish and modern in an unconventional way
    Papi used to play these funky harmonies on the piano. The music sounds like it’s about to resolve, but it doesn’t. The notes are just a little too flat or a little too sharp. That’s how things feel with Laurel—a little off-key.
  16. uppity
    arrogant or self-important
    ...I remember all the uppity ladies who come into Happy Day complaining about the imaginary spots on their clothing, and even though we’re on the West Side, those ladies probably live in buildings like this...
  17. onus
    a burdensome or difficult concern
    Me being the “foreigner” at Quaker Oats, I felt like the onus was on me to adapt to the native culture, and not the other way around.
  18. pillory
    a wooden instrument of punishment on a post
    He headlocks me with one arm and Colin with the other. It’s awkward and uncomfortable, like we’re trapped in a medieval pillory.
  19. vitriol
    abusive or venomous language to express blame or censure
    “Damn, Ally Kim!”
    Josh stares back at me—with some combination of vitriol and…admiration?
  20. humanities
    studies intended to provide general knowledge and skills
    “You know what my parents told me? They said, ‘Don’t bother majoring in English.’ Because people like me never get hired in the humanities.”
  21. patrician
    characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy
    He’s the whole package, right down to the Superman hair and patrician jawline. Josh Buck is a modern-day aristocrat if there ever was one.
  22. genteel
    marked by refinement in taste and manners
    The genteel older woman with a sweep of silver hair is seated in a velvet chair in the foreground of the portrait.
  23. condescending
    characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance
    She’s wearing both a beige bouclé skirt suit with gold buttons and a condescending hint of a smile.
  24. standoffish
    lacking cordiality; unfriendly
    “I thought you never wanted to be friends with me. You’re so cool and Queens. But you were always kind of standoffish with me.”
  25. periphery
    the outside boundary or surface of something
    I flash “peace” to the other Oatties at the periphery who see everything but say nothing at all.
  26. genus
    taxonomic group containing one or more species
    “Our whole campus is set on a national park. Every tree, plant, and flower is labeled by its genus and species,” Lexa, our tour guide, says, waving her arm across the wide expanse of the campus green.
  27. rehash
    discuss again; go back over
    I do not want to rehash what went down at Claire’s party over the weekend.
  28. smitten
    marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness
    I’d be boasting, too, if I were on a first-name basis with my professors. Our tour group murmurs with approval.
    I’m smitten.
  29. bamboozle
    conceal one's true motives from
    “I felt bamboozled, Laurel. You didn’t even ask me about the assembly,” I say, heat in my voice.
  30. indignation
    a feeling of righteous anger
    I remember the indignation that flared across her face when she found out about JBJ.
  31. omission
    leaving out or passing over something
    But then I remember Laurel on the podium. Oblivious to my feelings. Lying by omission about her Whyder essay.
  32. initiate
    bring up a topic for discussion
    She’s the first at school to initiate conversations about how white people need to “step up” and be “active allies to POCs.”
  33. redundant
    repeating the same sense in different words
    “It’s so dumb,” Laurel says, “how people in this country don’t understand that veggies are by default gluten-free. Talk about redundant. Duh.”
  34. proselytize
    convert or try to convert someone to another religion
    “You shouldn’t have to be the one proselytizing about celery’s gluten-freedom,” Laurel says slowly.
  35. quip
    make jokes or witty remarks
    “My inner Catholic feels scandalized,” I say.
    “My inner half WASP feels dead inside,” she quips back.
  36. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    The red eyes of his Transformers decal glower at me.
  37. ruefully
    in a manner expressing pain or sorrow
    “What made you change your mind?” I ask softly.
    “I may have had a charla with your tía,” Ma admits.
    “Tía Yoona?” I say in disbelief.
    Ma smiles ruefully.
  38. glean
    collect or gather bit by bit, especially information
    Everything I know about her past I gleaned from Papi.
  39. gentrification
    change in poorer areas due to an influx of wealthier people
    Home prices are going up like crazy in Jackson Heights; the waves of gentrification have arrived on our shores, so to speak, and we would have been washed out of our own home.
  40. foist
    force onto another
    She always foists on Payal these sugary blocks of candy that are pretty to look at but will guarantee a trip to the dentist the next day.
Created on Mon Aug 26 12:38:58 EDT 2024 (updated Mon Aug 26 19:41:12 EDT 2024)

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