How does the narrator respond to Amina's worries about their cultural differences? Was his

Question

response fair?
The narrator…by…
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You know I can’t wait for you to meet everyone,” I continue, my heart feeling full. “I
talk about you, like, all the time.”
[18] “It’s just… ” She puts her fork down and sets her salad aside. “Look, Mike, I don’t
want to make this weird, but… ”
[19] What is it?”
[20] “It’s just, have you ever brought home… someone... like me?”
[21] I shift around on the bench and look at her, and she stares down into her lap, which
is significantly less gravystained than mine. She’s wearing tight black jeans and vintage
boots that come up halfway between her knee and her foot. I reach out and take one of
her hands, an array of bracelets jingling as I bring it closer to me, thick silver rings on
several of her fingers.
[22] What do you mean, someone like you?” I ask, running my fingers over the top of
her hand. She pulls her hand away slowly and sighs
[23] “Michael, you know what I mean,” she says, shaking her head. “Look, I know your
exes. Okay? Becca? Anne? And your parents, your family and all... they’re sweet from
everything you’ve told me, but you know, they’re — ”
[24] “White,” I say, nodding slowly at first and then a bit faster. “They’re white. This
again? That’s what this is about?”
[25] “I’m sorry, it’s just — ”
[26] “I’m not white,” I say. “They don’t have any problems with me at Thanksgiving. Or
Easter. Or Christmas!”
[27] “Come on, that’s not even remotely what I’m saying here, and you know that.” She
shifts around on the bench to look at me, and I realize we’re not really sitting next to
each other anymore, but across from each other.
[28] “It’s just... this feels silly,” I mutter. “We keep circling back to this. Why?”
[29] “Because we should talk about it,” Amina presses. “All your exes were white girls.
This is new.” She points at herself and at me. “Do they know?”
[30] “It’s not like I told them, ‘Hey, I’m dating Becca, she’s a white girl’ when I was
seeing her. What’s the difference now that I’m dating a brown girl? Did you warn your
parents about m

Answer 1

The narrator responds to Amina's worries about their cultural differences by initially downplaying her concerns. He acknowledges that she is worried about his family's acceptance of their relationship due to their differing backgrounds, but he defends himself by asserting that his family has never had issues with him dating white girls and questions why this should be different with Amina. His tone suggests frustration and a desire to avoid what he perceives as unnecessary conflict.

The narrator's response may not be considered fair. While he dismisses Amina's valid worries about how their cultural differences might be perceived by their families, he fails to validate her feelings and experiences. By generalizing his past experiences and not acknowledging that Amina's concerns may stem from a different context or personal experience, he minimizes the impact of cultural differences, which is an important aspect of their relationship. Instead of engaging in a constructive dialogue, he opts to sidestep the issue, leaving Amina feeling unheard. This could exacerbate the very concerns she raises, indicating a lack of proper communication and understanding between them.