Carlisle, Pennsylvania

The town of Carlisle represents the community that Phuc desperately wants to fit into as a child. He cannot help but feel different as one of the few non-white people in his peer group, particularly as several bullies point out how he looks different from everyone else. Therefore, he sees his town as a goal of how to behave to assimilate.

Vietnam

Phuc’s interactions with the people in his town demonstrate how many of them view Vietnam, and Phuc’s family as an extension of the place, as a symbol. Phuc notices how Vietnamese and other Asian characters are portrayed the same way in the media because American society views all Asians as the same. In part related to this tension, Phuc starts to stray from his roots in order to fit in.

Comics

Comics are a representation of Phuc’s desire to understand and...