Content Warning: This section discusses Islamophobia, ethnic stereotyping, and family separation in the context of the US immigration system; it also references sectarian violence and colonialism. 

“The thing is, we’ve always lived this way-floating, not sure where we belong.”

The metaphor of “floating” captures the immigrant family’s sense of displacement and uncertainty. It conveys both the physical journey of immigration but also the emotional and psychological challenges of their experience, introducing the theme of The Struggle for Identity and Belonging in a New Country and foreshadowing the characters’ quest for stability.

“‘I have to look a certain way,’ she keeps muttering. ‘I’m there for your father. I show up in court. I have to look a certain way.’”

Dialogue reveals Ma’s inner turmoil and the weight of her responsibilities. The repetition of the phrase “I have to look a certain way” stresses the pressures placed upon her as she supports her husband’s immigration case; she feels she must assimilate into American culture to convince the judge of her husband’s worth. As that culture is implicitly white, Christian, etc., the passage explores the prejudices many immigrants face in establishing their right to live in the US.

“You’re only little, but you know it’s there: that feeling that you never know what terror will pulse from the ground.”

Budhos employs imagery and foreshadowing to create a sense of fear and unpredictability. The image of “terror pulsing from the ground” paints a picture of an ever-present, dynamic threat. This figurative portrayal of Nadira’s fear epitomizes the novel’s broader depiction of being an undocumented immigrant and establishes a foreboding