Jason Yao, Mia’s friend, is a fellow middle-schooler and part-owner of the Calivista motel with Mia. Jason cooks for the motel’s restaurant, East Meets West, and creates innovative recipes combining Chinese and American cooking styles. Jason loves cooking and sees the restaurant as his own version of the American Dream. Hank and Mia are both close confidantes for Jason and they all support each other deeply.

Jason has a fraught relationship with his father, Mr. Yao, rooted in the challenges of navigating hybrid immigrant identities. Unlike Mia’s family, who no longer answers to Mr. Yao, Jason still desires the love and validation from his father. Mr. Yao constantly criticizes and micromanages Jason, doubting his instincts and his skill to run his own restaurant. Jason nearly quits over Mr. Yao’s criticism and only agrees to cook out of the small manager’s kitchen so Mr. Yao won’t be able to find him. Jason is uniquely vulnerable to Mr. Yao’s criticism because despite disagreeing with his father, he still longs for his father’s approval.

After reading his father’s diary entries, Jason begins to see that his father is repeating the same fraught dynamic that he had with his own parents, perpetuating a generational pattern. Just as Mr. Yao’s parents bought the motel as a safeguard against the potential failure of his music career, Mr. Yao buys into the diner worried about Jason’s ability to be a success on his own. While the parents in this dynamic view their decisions as acts of support, the children sees them as a shattering lack of faith that diminishes their ability to pursue their dream.

Mr. Yao is the former owner of the Calivista motel who eventually sold it to the Tangs. As owner, he was a hypercritical, penny-pinching boss who never let the Tangs make their own decisions or get any rest. Mia’s family was happy to part ways with him and have resolved to keep him out of any decision-making going forward. In this novel, Yang includes excerpts from Mr. Yao’s diaries to offer a more complex portrait of Mr. Yao that explains his behavior.

Through the diary entries, Mia learns that Mr. Yao shares a similarly difficult immigrant story to her own. He faces considerable racism growing up and grows angry with the way he and his parents are treated. Like Mia, he tries hard to support his parents but unlike Mia, his parents criticize and doubt his dreams. Music becomes a running motif through Mr. Yao’s story as he dreams of becoming a professional trumpet player. He successfully makes it to Europe to play professionally, achieving his dream but feels crushed by guilt when his parents die soon after he moves. As a result, he comes to view his dream as a symbol of selfishness and abandonment of his duty to his family. Mr. Yao’s critical and cruel demeanor reflects the extent to which “he [is] mad at himself (247). After sharing his secret with Mia and Jason, he finally feels the support of his community, which allows him to soften toward his son and express pride and faith in him for the first time.

Hank, one of the weekly residents at the Calivista in Front Desk, now cooks his famous crunchy burgers at the restaurant with Jason. Despite facing lots of discrimination as an African American, Hank works toward his vision of the American Dream, saving enough money to buy his own condo. He feels proud of his accomplishments and works diligently to refine the recipe to his burgers, which rely on saltine crackers as a secret ingredient.

In this novel, Hank deals with a betrayal when Mr. Wamble, the manager of a high-end restaurant, deceives Hank by expressing interest in his Crunch Burger recipe, gaining Hank’s trust, stealing the recipe, and denying any wrongdoing when confronted. Mr. Wamble also undermines Hank’s credibility as a cook, relying on his resources and status to avoid accountability. This conflict dramatizes the power imbalance between individuals and wealthy institutions, demonstrating the ways that power imbalance often leads to exploitation. Hank shows his tenacity and integrity when he decides to fight back against Mr. Wamble, risking his beloved condo to stand up for himself and what is right.

Hank serves as a key source of support for Mia when she feels low, encouraging her to keep fighting and stay true to herself. Mia, in turn, supports Hank through his struggle with Mr. Wamble, accompanying him to meetings and acting as a witness to Mr. Wamble’s manipulation. Hank and Mia’s relationship underscores the importance of friendship and community in Mia’s journey.

Lupe is Mia’s best friend and a fellow sixth grader. Lupe is incredibly intelligent and takes advanced math classes at the high school. She becomes a key member of the Math Cup team, even stepping into a leadership role when Mia’s mom is not allowed to officially coach. In this novel, Lupe explores new facets of her identity, including her growing feelings for her teammate Allie. She’s open with Mia about this journey and Mia encourages Lupe to talk to her mom about it. Being open with her community allows Lupe to explore who she is without shame and isolation.

Lupe’s story also touches on themes of justice and solidarity. Lupe offers Mia unconditional emotional support, recognizing the source of her anxiety around sports and encouraging her to fight off her inner voice. Mia, in turn advocates for Lupe when the Math Cup team faces racist behavior from an opposing team. While Lupe bravely stands up for herself, Mia’s support helps bolster her confidence, dispelling the shame that the racist remarks make her feel.

Mia’s mom, Mrs. Tang, works as a math teacher at the high school and experiences a tension between her love for teaching and her insecurity about her English skills. She deals with challenges in the workplace, especially from Mr. Jammer, a teacher who dominates conversations and takes credit that he doesn’t deserve. Despite not being officially recognized as the math team coach, she dedicates herself to supporting the students by creating practice materials and working after hours with them at the motel. When the team faces unfair competition, she emphatically advocates for them, gradually earning respect from the school’s leadership. Her storyline addresses themes of perseverance and Resilience in the Face of Adversity.

Mia’s father runs and maintains the Calivista Motel, taking on the daily responsibilities as Mia’s mom now works at the high school. He serves as a consistent source of support for Mia and encourages her writing and ambitions. For example, when Mia begins pursuing the soccer story and working on her own soccer skills, Mr. Tang buys her a soccer ball and offers to kick it around with her. He doesn’t criticize her for her lack of sports skills but tells her he’s “so proud” of her “for trying” (166). In contrast to Jason’s father, Mr. Yao, Mr. Tang offers encouragement and trust, helping to shape Mia’s confidence.

Bethany is a white classmate of Mia’s who repeatedly targets her with racist and belittling comments, often making fun of Mia’s body, athletic ability, and background. Bethany dismisses others unless they are useful to her, and her behavior creates a hostile environment for Mia at school. Bethany’s antagonistic relationship with Mia contrasts with Mia and Lupe’s supportive dynamic and reflects the negative impact of racism, exclusion, and bigotry in peer relationships.

Mr. Antwell, Mia’s gym teacher, initially plays an adversarial role by giving her a low grade in PE, threatening her chance to attend journalism camp. He misinterprets Mia’s fear of the ball as laziness and resists her proposals for extra credit. However, when she continues to push herself, he challenges her to conduct an interview with a World Cup team, pushing her to be tenacious and take risks. Over time, he recognizes her effort and begins to encourage her both as a writer and athlete. His storyline explores growth through mutual understanding and the role of teachers in recognizing different forms of effort

Mr. Ingleton, Mia’s guidance counselor, often dismisses her concerns or fails to offer meaningful help. He makes racially charged comments about Mia’s support for Team China, accusing her of being disloyal and making her question her own identity. His character highlights institutional bias and the psychological impact of being made to feel like an outsider.