How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Do you know that she still says "Negro?" and refuses to call us black or African-American? At least she doesn't say "colored." She says that her skin is not black and never will be and that she doesn't know anyone from Africa; why should she change what has worked perfectly well all of her life? (5.51)
There are many reasons why Andy gets annoyed at his mom, but at the top of the list is how she deals with issues that make her uncomfortable. Her awkwardness about race only leads to his frustration with how others treat black people differently in his school and mall, too.
Quote #2
I'd also get rid of Band-Aids—for two reasons. One, they're beige. They say on the box, "skin tone" is the color of the bandages inside. Whose skin? Not mine! So I HATE wearing Band-Aids because they're so noticeable. (9.3)
Gerald gets a fair amount of cuts and bruises thanks to his stepdad, and while he's annoyed at having to hide this abuse in the first place, the fact that Band-Aids only highlight him doing so really irks him. And Gerald's not the only one with beef.
Quote #3
"The only one in my family who is really cool is my little brother, Monty. But I worry about him. I think when he gets to be my age, he's goin' to have a lot of problems. I know he's only six, but he doesn't think black is cool. And he's got this thing for little girls with yellow hair—yeah, I worry about the kid sometimes." (11.64)
Andy worries about Monty because of his fascination with blonde chicks. This might seem harmless at first, but Andy thinks it means a lot more than a crush on some cute girls—he understands this as his little bro liking white people more than black people, and thinking they are better, which isn't cool.