Chinese American Experience
The key theme of the memoir is the Chinese American experience, specifically as lived by the author. She draws upon the experiences in her life that have brought home the difficulty of having both heritages, and each community rejecting her because of the part of her that is alien to them. Each of the communities seems threatened by her dual heritage. Although some people featured in the book, such as Far's employer, respond positively when their racial prejudices are brought to their attention, the majority are not interested in changing their attitude or their behavior. Far's account of her life experiences also shows us that her heritage was the main theme of her life, and formed a backdrop to everything she did and everyone she came into contact with.
Chinese Culture
For a long time growing up, Far did not know any Chinese or Chinese-American people outside her own family. She is therefore as intrigued by and as unfamiliar with the way they dressed as any other western person. As she begins to experience isolation and resentment, she also begins to develop a real interest in Chinese culture. Throughout the book various elements of Chinese everyday life in Canada and America are observed and documented, from food to social interactions.
A Woman's Role
Although the book chiefly deals with prejudice that Far experiences due to her racial heritage, she is also mindful of the prejudice she experiences because of her gender. She is in some ways a renaissance woman and does not care for being stereotyped or directed into a certain role. There are many occasions in the book when she speaks of realizing that men run the world and her frustration with this state of affairs. She is aware throughout that women should have equal rights but do not, and the most interesting part of this observation is that it is true in both her Chinese and her western cultures.
