Mother (symbol of inspiration)
Throughout the book, the narrator mentions the word ‘mother’ more than two hundred times to symbolize her inspiration to pursue her interests. Consequently, the narrator draws her strengths from her mother because whenever she feels stuck, she mentions her name.
The symbolism of the American passport
The American passport symbolizes the deceiving nature of appearances. When the narrator arrives in the Philippines, the authorities look at her suspiciously when they realize she has an American passport. Therefore, despite being of Asian origin, the American passport in her possession raises suspicion.
The symbolism of identity
The narrator symbolizes the identity crisis the people of mixed ethnicity go through in the United States of America. Holding the Asian-American bi-cultural status confuses the narrator even more because the whites do not recognize her as one of them.
Racial prejudice
Racial prejudice is symbolized by how the narrator is received at home when she goes to the Philippines. The discrimination starts at the airport, where the authorities suspect that she is not a Philippine because she holds an American passport. The narrator realizes that even the people at home think that she is not one of them because of her American culture.
