Thomas considers himself an American and has fully embraced that title, yet the bombing of Pearl Harbor causes him to be discriminated against by the nation to which he is loyal. His only resemblance to the Japanese who bombed Pearl Harbor was a shared cultural heritage, yet he is eradicated and blamed for the actions taken by others who look like him. This difference in how he sees himself and how others see him creates a sad contrast to Richard's conflicts. Even if Richard fully embraced the title of American, others would still see him differently because of the color of his skin. This ties into Pocho's theme of identity and the limbo that multicultural people face in their new homes. They are not fully accepted by any of the cultures to which they belong, and even if they were, they still wouldn't feel at home in either. Instead they are forced to merge their different cultures