An immigrant from a distant, "iceless region" who has lived in the United States for over two decades. He wears a white shirt every day and relies heavily on routine to manage a society that often feels alien to him. He holds complex emotions about his dual identity but struggles to articulate them, relying on quiet rituals to feel grounded.

The narrator of the poem, an observant family member who closely watches her uncle live his life as an immigrant in America. She attempts to understand his dual identity and the comfort he finds in small rituals. She recognizes the barrier he faces with language, deeply empathizing with his ongoing struggle to belong.

A barista at the uncle's favorite coffee shop who wears a starched ascot and possesses a "perfect pouring hand." She knows her regular patron's order of two easy eggs and a single pancake by heart. She provides the uncle with a transaction-based but deeply appreciated sense of comfort, allowing him the relief of ordering his food without speaking.