Content Warning: This section references racial prejudice and racist slurs.

“Three years ago, [...] I’d made friends with a girl named Sarah. The first time she came over to play, she stopped dead in the entryway and said, ‘Eww! What’s that smell?’ [...] The same thing happened again a few weeks later, this time with two friends [...] They both stopped dead in their tracks and grabbed their noses. Then they insisted that we play outside because they couldn’t stand the smell.”

The novel quickly establishes two of Julia’s myriad negative experiences regarding her Korean heritage, as well as the broader theme of Perceptions of Ethnic/Racial Identity. These types of situations result in Julia’s increased sensitivity about her ethnicity, especially around non-Korean people. Julia herself doesn’t like kimchi, which makes her an anomaly within her family and suggests her desire to assimilate into white society. Patrick’s love of kimchi helped cement their friendship when the Songs moved to Plainfield.

“Patrick did the reading part, the research [for projects]. I did the hands-on stuff—whatever needed to be cut and pasted or built or painted or sewn. [...] Sometimes I’d do some of the reading, and Patrick would help with the making part. But we had our main jobs, and it suited us both.”

An introduction to the theme of Types of Productivity/Skill Sets, this quote showcases Patrick’s and Julia’s individual strengths. Patrick is a voracious bookworm and can provide background knowledge and context on many issues, such as Mrs. Song’s prejudices. Julia’s craftsmanship shines through her embroidery, which allows her to form a connection with her Korean heritage. At the same time, her hands-on observations of and care for the silkworms allow her to empathize with them later in the novel.

“This [a bite of kimchee with rice] is their routine whenever Patrick leaves our house at dinnertime. We have rice and kimchee for dinner almost every night, no matter what the main course is, and my mom always gives Patrick a bite as he goes out the door.”

Kimchi is not only one of Patrick’s favorite foods but also one of the factors that cemented his friendship with Julia.