What does it mean to be Khmer, anyway? How does one know what is and is not Khmer?
-- Narrator (Three Women of Chuck's Donuts)

Importance: After the mysterious customer begins frequenting Chuck's Donuts, Tevy starts wondering about who he might be. Her mother insists that he is Khmer, but to Tevy, this explains little. In this passage, the narration veers into Tevy's consciousness, excavating her litany of questions not only about the man's identity, but about her own cultural and ethnic identity. Though these lines originate from Tevy's mind, the reader can apply them to all of the other stories' main characters' questions about identity and self-discovery.

We looked up to Superking Son. We wanted to keep it that way.
-- Narrator (Superking Son Scores Again)

Importance: The boys on the badminton team look up to Superking Son because they see him as a stable fixture in their community and thus their lives. They respect Superking Son. He is talented and impressive, and gives...