Immigration

One of the most salient commonalities between many of the characters is that they have immigrated to the United States from Vietnam, and this aspect of their personal history helps to shape their points of view in ways that contrast with that of Robert, the one central character who is not an immigrant. While Robert comes from a somewhat turbulent background considering the dysfunction and antipathy between his parents, he has experienced far more stability in his life than the other characters, who had to experience the dangers of a communist dictatorship and then flee to a foreign country in order to find safety. Thus, while Robert’s outlook on life is one that generally focuses on following a strict moral code, the outlooks of the immigrant characters are more focused on survival and self-determination. The immigrant characters do recognize certain morals, and some of these...