Racism

The assumptions made by characters about Lyla’s race and immigration status illustrate how much ignorance there is about these issues. The caption on Lyla’s picture suggests that she is an illegal immigrant, a suggestion that is untrue. When people see this suggestion that Lyla is mixed race, there is a variety of speculation about which race she belongs to, demonstrating how ignorant some are about race issues.

The caption added to Lyla’s photo suggests that immigrants are substandard. Lyla is drunk to the point that she is passed out, an image that suggests many immigrants are dependent on drugs or alcohol. Lyla recognizes how demeaning the comment is to immigrants because she has worked as a babysitter for a family of immigrants who lives near them. Lyla knows these people worked hard to earn their citizenship and also work hard to support their...