A Place at the Table

School closes for Election Day, and Elizabeth goes to the school with her father. She dresses in red, white, and blue to show her patriotism. Her dad jokes that her grandmother would be rolling over in her grave, but the joke falls flat. During the drive, Elizabeth asks about her mother’s citizenship test and why her father is not around more to help her mother. Her dad cuts the conversation short and does not answer before they arrive at the polling place.

At the polling place, Elizabeth finds Sara, and the two discuss their project and plan to meet. Mr. Hameed insists that Elizabeth join Sara and Rabia at the mall to hang out, and the girls agree. As Elizabeth and her father leave the polling place, Maddy and her dad approach them. Maddy’s father wants to talk politics with Elizabeth’s dad, while Maddy wants to hang out with Elizabeth, feeling terrible for ignoring their Halloween tradition. Maddy seems genuinely upset when Elizabeth says she already has plans. When Elizabeth and her father make it to the car, her father is frustrated because of the politics and antisemitism around them.

Sara and Mrs. Hameed meet Rabia at the mall food court for their annual trip. Mrs. Hameed comments on Rabia’s hijab, which she had started wearing last year. The two girls venture out, and Elizabeth quickly joins them. Elizabeth and Rabia get along well, and Sara reflects on how her two friends represent two sides of her life: Rabia, the familiar, and Elizabeth, the new. The girls visit Claire’s, a jewelry store, and they discuss how Elizabeth cannot get piercings. Her religious beliefs articulate that piercings and tattoos harm the body, and thus are not allowed. Rabia and Sara explain how piercings are part of Pakistani culture rather than part of their religious beliefs.

When they pass a mall Santa, the conversation shifts to which holidays the girls do (or do not) celebrate. Elizabeth explains that her family celebrates Hannukah at home but had celebrated Christmas in England until her grandmother died. The three then enter a clothing shop where Rabia, Sara, and Elizabeth all buy outfits—Sara and Elizabeth choose matching tunics. They leave the store excitedly until Maddy shouts Elizabeth’s name. Maddy confronts Elizabeth about not being available and Elizabeth’s choice to hang out with Sara rather than Maddy. Stephanie attempts to talk Maddy down. As Maddy leaves, she insults Sara one last time, telling her to return to where she came from.

After Maddy and Stephanie leave, Sara tells Elizabeth that racist comments like Maddy’s are why she stays quiet at school. She then calls out Elizabeth for saying nothing when Maddy makes these kinds of comments. When Sara asks if they are friends, Elizabeth confirms they are. Sara then asks Elizabeth to stand up for her when people make racist comments. In return, Elizabeth says they need to be able to ask each other questions about topics like Halloween without hostility. As they leave, Rabia reminds Sara that Elizabeth may not have heard such comments before; Elizabeth reflects that she has heard Maddy’s father say them but never Maddy. Now, she questions if she wants to remain friends with Maddy.

Sara helps her mother carry ingredients into the family and consumer sciences class; Mrs. Hameed gives Sara a spare key to the classroom to move groceries in, but Sara does not return the key. Elizabeth feels hurt that Sara did not wait for her after language arts class. While they make aaloo tikkis, a potato-based dish, Sara and Elizabeth discuss the logo Sara makes for art class. They agree they need to make a better dish than Stephanie and Maddy’s dish for the international festival because Maddy is still acting passive-aggressively toward Sara. Toward the end of the class, Mrs. Hameed has Sara read an announcement that a professional celebrity chef will be attending the international festival and will place the winning team on TV.

Sara shows Mrs. Newman, the art teacher, her logo. Mrs. Newman is impressed. She says Sara’s name incorrectly (Sarah, not Sara), and Sara corrects her, which she has never done before. Mrs. Newman adjusts, says she is very impressed with Sara’s portfolio, and asks Sara to make the banner for the international festival. Sara accepts but worries how she will make time for all the projects she has piling up.

The Hebrew school principal stops Elizabeth as she leaves school to discuss why her family forgot cookies for their hospitality act after Friday’s service. Elizabeth explains that her mother is coping with the death of Elizabeth’s grandmother. The principal expresses sorrow at Elizabeth’s loss but also calls Elizabeth’s mother a shiksa, which means a non-Jewish person.

When Elizabeth arrives home, her mother is studying for the citizenship test. Elizabeth’s father intercepts Elizabeth and discusses her feelings about people viewing her mother as an outsider, including family members. She then explains how difficult it is when her mom frequently does not pay attention to timelines while Elizabeth’s father travels. He promises to talk to their family members but cannot make promises about being home more often.

Elizabeth, Sara, and Micah sit together at lunch the following day. Elizabeth and Sara discuss their recipe and agree to make s’mores parathas. However, during the next cooking club class, Elizabeth wants to know when they will practice cooking them. She is weary of doing nothing but making lists all the time and fears their recipe will never be ready. She convinces Sara to meet during Thanksgiving break to practice their Pakistani/American fusion dish.

Sara and Rabia have a Google Hangout session where they watch a familiar episode of America’s Got Talent, which they both enjoy because anyone can come on and have an equal chance at success. They mute the episode partway through because Rabia wants to discuss missing Sara and studying with her. Rabia feels lonely at school, as everyone already has their friend groups. Sara comforts her by saying they will have Thanksgiving, but Rabia thinks she will spend Thanksgiving with her grandparents. Sara ends the Google Hangout, claiming her mother is calling her, dreading that everything she knows is about to change.

Sara and Elizabeth use their school’s half day to cook at Elizabeth’s house and prepare their recipe for the international festival. When they first arrive at Elizabeth’s house, Elizabeth is nervous because she does not know how Sara will react to her unique family. Elizabeth guides Sara through the house, vaguely introducing family members, though Sara sees none.

Once inside Elizabeth’s room, Sara sees the Elizabeth she recognizes from school—the confident, outgoing, and funny Elizabeth. Sara admires Elizabeth’s collection of Doctor Who and Harry Potter paraphernalia, then sees a picture of Maddy and Elizabeth. She asks about Elizabeth’s friendship with Maddy, and Elizabeth explains that the friendship is deteriorating because she now sees Maddy’s racist and harmful behaviors. Sara asks Elizabeth to consider that Maddy may not know better because of her family, and might need friends to help teach her better. Elizabeth’s brother, Justin, enters the room after soccer practice and asks for a meal since the snack jars are empty. Sara offers to cook and makes Khagina, a potato and scrambled egg dish, which Justin finds delicious.

Justin leaves, and the girls begin cooking their recipe. Their first paratha attempts do not go well, and they quickly discover that s’mores parathas will not work because of how sticky everything gets. However, they have fun trying and do not care. When Mrs. Hameed arrives to pick up Sara, the girls find the mothers bonding over a shared love of the TV show Friends. Mrs. Hameed invites Elizabeth to spend Thanksgiving with them, and Elizabeth agrees when her mother says she will spend the day studying for the citizenship exam.

Elizabeth dances around her house, excited for Thanksgiving. Her mother surprises her by also being in a good mood—the depressive episode subsides some for the day. Her parents will eat a pre-bought Thanksgiving dinner while Elizabeth and Justin spend the day with the Hameeds. Elizabeth’s mom tells Elizabeth that she and Mr. Hameed have a surprise but cannot finish explaining before Justin interrupts and she playfully chases him for a turkey hat.

Elizabeth and Justin go to the Hameeds’ house, which Elizabeth recognizes as the unlit house from Halloween. Sara greets them at the door, and Sara’s younger brothers excitedly greet Justin. Elizabeth says hello to Mr. Hameed and is amazed to see him watching cricket. Mrs. Hameed asks the girls to retrieve tindas—a Pakistani fruit—from the back porch, as they will blend American and Pakistani foods for their Thanksgiving meal. Elizabeth smiles and is grateful for her new friend and Sara’s family.