The author’s culture has a strong influence on the way she was able to develop Rinko’s point of view. Being of Japanese heritage, the author grew up surrounded by certain traditional values and beliefs, which shaped her views on identity, assimilation, and belonging. These highly-valued cultural elements are evident in Rinko’s character development and understanding of her place in the world.

Rinko is a young girl living in Japan who is struggling with issues related to assimilation into American society. In order to gain acceptance, she must learn English and adapt to a new school environment that is vastly different than anything she has experienced before. Themes such as perseverance and courage can be observed throughout the text as Rinko attempts to find her footing while navigating through both cultures simultaneously. Through these experiences, readers are given an insight into how alienating it can be for immigrants trying to find their place in a seemingly unfamiliar country despite having similar material items or physical characteristics as those of native citizens.