hard work (despite being a child, Mia has to work hard in her family’s business at the motel), immigration (Mia’s parents hide immigrants in their motel), racism (throughtout the book there are characters who suggest that white people are a superior race and that black people are usually criminals and things are ‘better in English’), new school, bullying (teasing for differences in race), money (difficulty in paying bills and not being able to afford medical help), debt (Mia’s uncle is in debt to loan sharks and is threatened with being killed), friendship, social justice, perseverance, cultural diversity (differences between the USA, Mexico and China), community, BAME character
