Content Warning: This section discusses the death of a parent, problematic parenting and parental neglect, bullying, gun violence, murder, and the trauma of unhoused people. The term “homeless” is reproduced in quotations only.

A marshal evicts June Yang, Maybelle Yang, and their mother, Mrs. Yang, from their apartment in New York City’s Chinatown. Ever since Mr. Yang died, Mrs. Yang has been completely inert and does not take care of her daughters. June packs the family’s belongings in trash bags, and they go to the Emergency Assistance Unit (EAU)—a New York City agency that helps displaced families find shelter immediately. At the dispiriting EAU building, the Yangs fill out paperwork and sleep in the hallway before they are placed in a shelter called Huey House, which is located in the Bronx—a borough in New York City.

Maybelle thinks that Huey House looks like a prison, but June tries to stay optimistic. Marcus, a large man who looks like a wrestler, is the head of security. He notices June’s viola case and tells her that Huey House doesn’t allow musical instruments. June’s father bought her the viola with the money he saved from delivering Chinese food, so June doesn’t want to part with it.