He has to learn Mandarin Chinese in addition to his Cantonese to court Elsie, who came from Shanghai, and then has to study literature, both Walt Whitman and Laozi.

In the late 1930s, when the Japanese army is invading China, Elsie leaves to return to her homeland to support the war effort.

The mother of the driver shows up to offer the family compensation money, enough to send Tom, Jr., to college and to finance the opening of their restaurant in Chinatown.

Cheng Lok Chua points out that Lin identified with the Fongs as immigrants and showed his solidarity with them as working-class Chinese.

He adds that Lin bent reality at a time when immigration laws would have prevented Tom, Sr. from bringing his wife and children.