¹     Nina Gomez had a new backpack. In it she carried pencils, paper, and other school supplies. On her feet were a new pair of shoes. Her mother was by her side. Still, her heart raced with fear.
 
²     "Mamá," Nina said, gripping her mother's hand, "will there be other Latinos in my class?"
 
³     "We will not know until we get there," her mother replied. "I am sure you will make friends. Do not be afraid."
 
⁴     Nina missed her old school. There, she had Latino and also non-Latino friends. Why did they have to move? What if her new classmates didn't like her? What if her teacher was mean? Nina missed Jodi and Carmen. Were they on the way to their first day of school? Were they thinking about her and missing her too?
 
⁵     Nina had learned that some people did not like Latinos. When her family had first come to the United States, some people were rude and wanted them to go back to their native country. Nina's father had told her to ignore rude people. He had a card that gave them the right to be in the USA. Then Nina's parents had made friends, and Nina had made friends too. They were happy. Then they moved so that her papá could get a better job. Starting over again was scary.

Paragraphs 6 to 12:
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