Immigration and Assimilation

The struggles that Hằng faces in her capacity as an immigrant are a central focus of the novel's interrogations about life under American culture. To some extent, the novel is deeply suspicious of the xenophobia and prejudice that lurks beneath American attitudes toward immigrants, and offers a critical (and sometimes subversive) look at this attitude through its use of language. At the same time, though, Lại is eager to probe at Hằng's experience in order to identify moments of belonging that demonstrate the ability of immigrants to assimilate to their surroundings and contribute to the society that they find themselves members of.

The opening pages of the novel are overt in their statement: LeeRoy's experience is goofily privileged in comparison to Hằng's, and the gap between their priorities is intentionally enormous. Because LeeRoy cannot communicate easily with Hằng about...