Parenthood
Bui first began to work on this memoir when she was still a student writing her thesis for her master’s degree. It’s here that she began to ask her parents the difficult questions about their life back home in Vietnam, as a way of understanding their experience better. She tries to break down their experiences living both through the Vietnamese war and how life was like before they were made refugees, as a means for understanding why her parents continue to strive for a better life for their family.
Identity
Being both American and Vietnamese, Bui embodies the experience of millions of home immigrants throughout the world. Constantly clashing between the two cultures and trying to assimilate to Western culture whilst maintaining her Vietnamese roots often leaves her in conflict with her own identity. Indeed, she often feels pressure to choose between them instead of embracing both.
Perspective
Instead of using words to describe her parent’s thoughts and feelings, Bui instead employs the use of art to convey the breadth of emotion through these experiences. Use of certain figures and color schematics are ways of expressing the thoughts behind every action made.
