The novel is filled with tension. Tayo, who is of mixed race (his father was white), was abandoned by his mother and raised by his Auntie. Emo constantly reminds him of his heritage, as Emo wished to be white, similar to Tayo's cousin Rocky. Tayo confronts Emo with this harsh truth: "Don't lie. You knew right away. The war was over, the uniform was gone. All of a sudden that man at the store waits on you last, makes you wait until all the white people bought what they wanted." Despite identifying as Native American and not the labels imposed by the government, Tayo grapples with self-hatred. This is rooted in the influence of boarding schools, which taught that Native Americans were uncivilized: "They never thought to blame white people for any of it; they wanted white people for their friends. They never saw that it was the white people who gave them that feeling and it was white people who took it away again when the war was over."

Night Swan adds another layer by telling Tayo that those of mixed heritage often become scapegoats. She explains that people tend to blame those who look different: "That way they don't have to think about what has happened inside themselves." Emo and Auntie's aversion to racial mixing contradicts Pueblo traditions, which prioritize actions over appearances. As the novel concludes, it implies that the community's survival depends on individuals like Tayo and Betonie. These mixed-race individuals, shaped by their unique experiences, have the ability to blend the old with the new, creating a more meaningful narrative.