The novel delves into a distinct type of generational clash often seen in immigrant families. The older generation, being first-generation immigrants, holds a strong connection to their homeland. In contrast, the younger generation, born in the new country, feels more aligned with their new environment. This dynamic is particularly evident for Ichiro Yamada, whose struggles are further exacerbated by the backdrop of war.

In the internment camp, Ichiro faces two critical questions but lacks the courage, maturity, and self-awareness to answer them truthfully. Deep inside, his loyalty is with the United States. However, he does not express this due to his inability to escape his mother's overpowering influence. Her affection is conditional; she only takes pride in him because he refused to serve in the U.S. military. Had he made a different choice, she would have disowned him. She is inflexible and unable to see any viewpoint other than her own. While she believes she loves him, she is essentially smothering him, forcing him to hide his true self. As a result, Ichiro feels hostility, bitterness, and anger. His mother has become as alien to him as Japan, a country he has never visited. They literally speak different languages. The conflict is only resolved with his mother’s death, and Ichiro experiences no grief at her passing.

Ichiro also lacks respect for his father, viewing him as weak. Nonetheless, his father is not as extreme as his mother and allows Ichiro and his younger brother Taro to make their own decisions. This open-mindedness helps maintain at least a minimal relationship with Ichiro. After his wife’s death, there is an implication that Ichiro and his father might develop a more genuine bond of understanding and empathy.

The intense familial conflicts that trouble Ichiro starkly contrast with the loving and supportive relationships within Kenji's family. Kenji’s father accepted his decision to join the army, even though it wasn't his preference. His flexibility and wisdom kept their family united and free from resentment, sharply contrasting with the bitter divisions that tear apart the Yamada family.

Despite his Japanese roots, Ichiro feels deep within that he is American. He realizes that by saying "no" to the two questions in the internment camp, he was not being authentic to himself. He expresses these feelings early in the novel when he returns home:

[O]ne does not grow up in America, receive an American education, and live an American lifestyle—speaking, swearing, drinking, smoking, playing, fighting, seeing, and hearing among Americans in American streets and homes—without becoming American and loving it.

Ichiro's current goal is to integrate into mainstream American society. However, he faces a dual challenge: he must convince white Americans of his true American identity and also deal with resentment from other Japanese Americans who scorn him as a “no-no” boy. During the two-week span of the novel, Ichiro embarks on an inner journey to convince himself that living as an American in the United States is indeed achievable. After having distanced himself from both his identity and the country he considers home, he must learn to embrace them once more.

Ichiro must overcome his tendency to blame himself for his predicament and his belief that, having once rejected the United States, he is now permanently unwelcome. Throughout this journey, he encounters people—especially employers Mr. Carrick and Mr. Morrison, along with Kenji and Emi—who show him that the United States is a place of kindness, compassion, and inclusivity. These individuals are far less concerned with Ichiro's decision in the internment camp than he is. They are not troubled by his past actions and instead offer him kindness and support.

By the end of the novel, Ichiro has made progress in realizing that his difficulties are largely self-imposed. He is ready to willingly accept his rightful place, acknowledging that although the United States harbors injustice and hatred, it also holds the promise of forgiveness and new beginnings for those who have lost their way.