ABSTRACT
Mia Davis, a working-class Caribbean wife, opens the door to the tiny apartment she shares with her husband, James, also Caribbean, and their two preschool-aged daughters. The girls run in to say hello, the younger one clutching a white doll. Mia settles on the green couch in the cramped but tidy living room, and the girls snuggle against her. James joins us, sitting in an easy chair opposite from Mia and the girls. Mia helps 2-year-old Anna wrap her doll in a towel as 4-year-old Kara pretends to feed hers with a plastic bottle. The girls chatter about their plans for a tea party. James turns to them and says, “You need to be quiet now. Go play in your room.” The girls retreat silently.
