Final answer:
The author's metaphor of a Kazakh family being an 'island' in an 'American sea' conveys their cultural distinctness and sense of isolation within a broader different cultural context.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the author describes the family as "like a tiny Kazakh island in the middle of a great American sea," she is employing a metaphor to suggest that the family is culturally distinct and isolated within a larger, different environment.
This reflects a feeling of being surrounded by an unfamiliar culture while maintaining one's own identity and traditions. The image of an island suggests a small space of familiarity and comfort amidst an expansive and possibly overwhelming different culture represented by the sea.