Each of Lee's novels explores the Korean culture and the desire for a young person to fit into another culture. Her literature is multicultural and she sees the need to realize that, "for me being an American of Korean descent and being a writer are inextricably linked." In her 1995 interview with Digital Library and Archives she explains that when people ask when she is going to be through with the "race thing" and go onto "universal themes" she always answers that with a "probably never."

Although each of her novels deals with this "race thing," unique approaches are given to each story. Lee has said that the character that is closest to being who she was in high school can be found in her first novel, Finding My Voice. Although the book is not autobiographical, Lee says, "In some ways this is the book...