Red, White, and Whole

Reha is constantly caught between what she sees as two different lives. She belongs to two cultural milieus: Indian and American. The first half of the book teases out these contradictions in Reha’s life and the difficulties that her sense of alienation brings her. Many teenagers feel that they do not quite fit in, but Reha’s experience is specific to her position as the daughter of immigrants. She has two lives, but she feels she does not fully belong in either one. Accordingly, there is always something holding Reha back or keeping her apart from those around her, or so she believes. She looks, dresses, and behaves differently from her American classmates, and even though she was born in America, people sometimes assume that she does not belong. This phenomenon is most striking in the scene at the mall, in which the food court employee loudly asks her if she speaks English. She is equally out of place in India, where she worries that people can tell she is a foreigner because of “how [she talks], and [walks], / and [breathes]” (80).

Even when Reha feels alienated, she still has moments of genuine connection to both cultures. Music helps her connect to everyone around her, both Indian and American.