Behold the Dreamers

Behold the Dreamers

by

Imbolo Mbue

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Behold the Dreamers makes teaching easy.

Bubakar Character Analysis

Bubakar is “a fast-talking Nigerian” immigration lawyer with a practice in Flatbush, Brooklyn who helps Jende navigate the American immigration system. Bubakar maintains an “ultraclean and perfectly organized office” and has a law diploma from a school in Nebraska affixed to the wall. Winston distrusts his competence, though Bubakar has hundreds of African clients residing all over the United States. He helps them and Jende invent stories to apply successfully for asylum. Bubakar is described as a small man with “extra-long hair flying out of his perpetually flared nostrils.” He has a house in Canarsie, New York. One of his daughters is in medical school, while another is enrolled at Brooklyn College. His son is a civil engineer in New Jersey.

Bubakar Quotes in Behold the Dreamers

The Behold the Dreamers quotes below are all either spoken by Bubakar or refer to Bubakar. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Sustainability of the American Dream Theme Icon
).
Chapter 11 Quotes

“Listen to me,” Bubakar said, somewhat impatiently. “As far as Immigration is concerned, there are many things that are illegal and many that are gray, and by ‘gray’ I mean the things that are illegal but which the government doesn’t want to spend time worrying about. You understand me, abi? My advice to someone like you is to always stay close to the gray area and keep yourself and your family safe. Stay away from any place where you can run into police—that’s the advice I give to you and to all young black men in this country. The police is for the protection of white people, my brother. Maybe black women and black children sometimes, but not black men. Never black men. Black men and police are palm oil and water. You understand me, eh?”

Related Characters: Bubakar (speaker), Jende Jonga
Page Number: 73-74
Explanation and Analysis:
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Bubakar Quotes in Behold the Dreamers

The Behold the Dreamers quotes below are all either spoken by Bubakar or refer to Bubakar. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Sustainability of the American Dream Theme Icon
).
Chapter 11 Quotes

“Listen to me,” Bubakar said, somewhat impatiently. “As far as Immigration is concerned, there are many things that are illegal and many that are gray, and by ‘gray’ I mean the things that are illegal but which the government doesn’t want to spend time worrying about. You understand me, abi? My advice to someone like you is to always stay close to the gray area and keep yourself and your family safe. Stay away from any place where you can run into police—that’s the advice I give to you and to all young black men in this country. The police is for the protection of white people, my brother. Maybe black women and black children sometimes, but not black men. Never black men. Black men and police are palm oil and water. You understand me, eh?”

Related Characters: Bubakar (speaker), Jende Jonga
Page Number: 73-74
Explanation and Analysis: