As a kid, I thought lots about my father. Sometimes, I fantasized he was a dentist or an astronaut—and once, though I’ll never admit it out loud, I wished he was white. Actually, I wished both my parents were white. White was beautiful. White was the color of my dolls and the models and families I saw on TV. Like shortening my name, a paler skin color and a rounder eye shape would have made my life so much easier, the world so much more accessible.
-- Izumi (chapter 1)

Importance: As a child, Izumi was hyper-aware of the difference between her Japanese self and the largely white population of Mount Shasta. She resented that her race made her pray to bullying and created barriers to accessibility for her. Her fantasy of having a white father illustrates the self-hatred and deeply engrained societal prejudices that plagued a young Izumi.

Dad. In my mind...
-- Izumi (chapter 16)