Legal term for the immigration process to receive green cards in the United States. The applicant must already be living in the United States and have some form of temporary status, like a visitor’s visa. The Saedi family apply for an adjustment of status when they learn their application for political asylum was lost.

Farsi term for “uncle” on father’s side of the family.

A term that describes “a child born to a noncitizen mother in a country that has birthright citizenship, especially when providing an advantage to family members seeking to secure citizenship or legal residency” (111). Saedi uses this term jokingly when referring to her younger brother, Kai.