Fred Eng is a Chinese American travel agent and tour guide based in San Francisco's Chinatown, where he manages Eng's Chinatown Tour ’n Travel. A middle-aged, balding, unmarried man in his forties, he was born in China and brought to the United States as an infant by his father, Wing Eng. Struggling with identity, Fred feels neither wholly Chinese nor American. His job requires perpetuating the American stereotype of Chinese Americans, typified by characters like Charlie Chan, something he deeply resents. Despite his dreams of becoming a writer, he has lost sight of this ambition over time. Fred's life is marked by dissatisfaction, as he despises both his job and life in Chinatown, the only place he feels a semblance of belonging. He wishes to relocate his family to Boston after his father's death, hoping for new beginnings. Central to the play is Fred's tumultuous relationship with his father, as well as his internal conflict between personal aspirations and family obligations.

Wing Eng, or Pa, the father of Fred, Johnny, and Mattie (Sis), is a significant figure as the honorary mayor of San Francisco's Chinatown. Born in China, he immigrated to the United States in 1935. Now in his sixties, he is conservative and stylish yet authoritarian. Despite his harshness, he is loved by his family. Pa is grappling with a terminal lung disease; his last wish is to die "Chinese," which propels him to bring his first wife, China Mama, to America. His relationship with Fred is complex, fraught with both dependence and disdain. Pa refuses Fred's plea to encourage the family to move to Boston, underscoring the central conflict of the narrative.

Hyacinth Eng, known affectionately as Ma, is Wing's second wife and the mother of Sis and Johnny. She embodies the Americanized Chinese woman, proud of her mission-school education and heritage. In her fifties, Hyacinth is practical and efficient, yet she often succumbs to emotional bursts, expressed through song and dance. Despite her love for Wing and her family, she fears the changes around her as the family drifts apart. Her character highlights the historical struggles and discrimination faced by Chinese Americans, manifesting in her attempts to fit into both Chinese and American molds.

Johnny Eng, Fred's teenage brother, is a street-savvy youth on probation for gun possession. Despite his rebellious nature, he remains loyal to his family and Chinese heritage. Johnny resists Fred's efforts to relocate the family to Boston, preferring to stay in Chinatown and assist with the family business. His character embodies the struggle of younger Chinese Americans trying to balance traditional values with their identity in a modern American world.

Mattie, or Sis, is the Americanized daughter of Wing and Hyacinth. She has successfully integrated into middle-class American life, having married a white man and moved to Boston. Known professionally as Mama Fu Fu, she is a flourishing Chinese cook and author, despite harboring a disdain for Chinatown. Her return to San Francisco for her father’s impending death highlights her internal conflict between familial loyalty and personal aspirations.

China Mama is Wing Eng's first wife and Fred's biological mother. Left behind in China when Wing emigrated, she is eventually brought to the United States so that Wing can die "Chinese." Her arrival indirectly pressures Hyacinth to enact a more traditional Chinese identity to maintain her husband's favor. China Mama's presence underscores the generational and cultural tensions within the Eng family, highlighting the struggles of maintaining one's heritage while adapting to a new cultural landscape.

Ross, Mattie's Caucasian husband, is a well-meaning admirer of Chinese culture. Although he reads Chinese, he lacks a comprehensive understanding of the Chinese American experience. Ross represents the white American majority, who appreciate Chinese culture aesthetically but struggle to grasp the complexities faced by the Chinese diaspora in adapting to life in America.