Rosie is a 15-year-old second-generation Japanese American living on her family's tomato farm in Southern California. She experiences a wide cultural and linguistic divide between her immigrant parents' traditional ways and her own American upbringing. Struggling with Japanese but fluent in English pop culture, she finds herself torn between familial expectations and her emerging teenage independence.

Tome is a first-generation Japanese immigrant and a hardworking farmer's wife who suddenly develops a passionate interest in writing poetry. Submitting her haiku to a San Francisco newspaper under the pen name Ume Hanazono, she seeks intellectual stimulation and an outlet for self-expression. Her new creative pursuit introduces subtle tensions into her otherwise quiet household.

Mr. Hayashi is a stoic, hardworking farmer in rural Southern California. Operating the farm under the stress of harsh weather and systemic anti-Asian land laws, he relies heavily on his family's physical labor. He possesses a practical mindset and grows increasingly isolated and insecure as his wife becomes absorbed in the intellectual world of poetry.

Jesus is a young Mexican American student who attends Cleveland High, two grades above Rosie. His family is hired to help the Hayashis during the busiest part of the farming season. He forms a quick, playful bond with Rosie, teasing her with bugs and challenging her to picking races in the fields.

Aunt Taka is a relative of the Hayashi family living in the United States. She acts as a bridge between Tome's past in Japan and her present life in California, having originally arranged the marriage between Tome and Mr. Hayashi. She frequently visits the farm to socialize and discuss poetry.

Mr. Kuroda is the haiku editor for the San Francisco daily newspaper, *Mainichi Shimbun*. He speaks an elegant, refined form of Japanese that reflects his education and social standing. He visits the farm to recognize Tome's poetic achievements and present her with an artistic prize.

Mr. Hayano is a tall, handsome, and strong Japanese American man who is friends with the Hayashi family. Unlike Mr. Hayashi, he shares Tome's enthusiasm for haiku and engages her in long literary discussions while their families socialize.

Mrs. Hayano is a Japanese American woman and mother of four daughters. Once considered the beauty of her native village in Japan, she now lives with a physical disability that leaves her stooped and trembling, serving as a cautionary figure for Rosie regarding the physical toll of adult life.

Haru is one of the four Hayano daughters. She and her sisters play carelessly with Rosie when the Hayashi family visits their home, highlighting the difference between Rosie's Americanized name and the Hayano girls' traditional names.

Chizuko is Rosie's school friend. She appreciates Rosie's outgoing personality and acts as an audience for Rosie's comedic routines, actively encouraging her interest in Western entertainment.