Many of the characters in this collection are faced with integrating their Chinese identity with their American identity, and the way in which they do so differs from person to person.

Sometimes, the approach they take does not align with their spouse, causing riffs in marriages. While the Spring Fragrances seem compatible in their ability and desire to explore American customs while still retaining their Chinese culture, other couples have opposing ideas about how best to navigate American or Canadian society. “The Wisdom of the New” is the starkest example of how differing ideas on how and if to adapt to western culture can lead to a breakdown in the marriage, and worse.

For Pan, in “Its Wavering Image,” it is not a question of immigrating from one country to another. She was born in Chinatown to a white mother and Chinese father. When she makes her first white friend, he tells her that she cannot be both Chinese and white. While she previously had always been accepted for who she is in Chinatown, she is faced with a decision about her self-identity. As a member of the dominant culture, Mark can only accept Pan as a white woman, because he does not regard members of the Chinese community as his equals, as evidenced by his exposé on Chinatown.