Answer:
Tan’s anecdotes further her argument because they make the points in her argument personal. Which appeals to readers with a personal story of how the use of English can determine how someone is seen or treated. The anecdotes in this story make the reader feel sympathetic for Tan’s mother and the way she was treated because of her use of “broken” english.
"Focused on helping his neighbors" is a participial phrase. A phrase is made up of a group of words, without a subject and a verb. It functions as a single part of speech. A phrase consists of a participle and includes modifiers and complements.