Family
At the center of the narrative is family, Fabiola’s relationship with her family members both nuclear and extended sets the main conflict. During their immigration into the United States Manman, Fabiola’s mother, is detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Consequently, Fabiola focuses on seeking means to secure Manman’s freedom. Their relationship and connection highlight their appreciation for family which both have displayed towards their relatives while in Haiti. Therefore she finds herself at a crossroads when she has to betray others to maintain loyalty to her family. Moreover, the predicament becomes worse when her mother’s freedom relies on turning in her cousins to the authorities.
Identity
Through the protagonist, the narrative explores the anxieties one harbor while acclimating to a foreign environment. Fabiola exhibits the struggles with dual identity that most new immigrants, even the old ones, deal with while navigating the American culture. The story revolves around the Haitian communities juxtaposing between new migrants and those from first and second generations in the United States. In Fabiola’s case as a new migrant, she feels the obligation to stick to her roots by embracing every aspect that defines her culture. However, she receives criticism from her aunt and cousins for maintaining her Haitian identity even though she held the notion that they would be accepting.
American Dream
The communication between Fabiola and her relatives while in Haiti painted a perfect image of America in her mind. With high expectations, Fabiola is quickly disillusioned by the realities of her new home that entails new and complex challenges. The narrative explores the idea of the American dream that new migrants chase but finds the journey is as elusive as it is achievable. While the land of opportunities indeed has opportunities it also suffers from its own social and economic issues expected of any civilization. Even more challenging for the migrants, is the racial problem that further aggravates the barriers towards attaining financial freedom.
