Pearl is a 21-year-old college graduate who lives as a socialite in Shanghai before her father's massive gambling debts force her into an arranged marriage. Level-headed and highly protective of her younger sister, she takes on the burden of securing their safety during the Japanese invasion. Her journey takes her from the luxuries of a cosmopolitan city to the restrictive, laborious environment of Los Angeles' Chinatown.

Pearl's 18-year-old younger sister is known for her striking beauty and impulsive personality. As the favored child of their parents, she easily handles social situations and frequently charms her way into getting what she wants. Resourceful and venturesome, she readily adapts to her changing environment and pursues opportunities in the Hollywood film industry after relocating to America.

The stern patriarch of the Louie family. Known as a "Gold Mountain Man" in Shanghai, he projects an image of vast wealth, though his reality in Los Angeles is far more modest. He runs several small businesses in Chinatown and expects strict obedience from his family members, insisting they avoid the broader white American society.

The handsome eldest son of Old Man Louie. He travels from America to China to enter into an arranged marriage with Pearl. Dutiful and hardworking, he seeks to honor his family obligations by working long hours in the Chinatown shops, though he harbors a deep desire to build a secure life and purchase a home for his immediate family.

The 14-year-old younger son of Old Man Louie. He has intellectual disabilities that cause him to learn slowly and speak rarely, disqualifying him from running the family businesses. Despite these challenges, he is exceptionally good-natured, saving his allowance to treat the family and finding quiet enjoyment in building model ships and airplanes.

The young daughter raised in the Louie household. Growing up as a Chinese American in Los Angeles, she bridges the gap between her family's traditional expectations and the modern culture surrounding her. She excels academically, behaves properly at home, and occasionally works as a child extra in Hollywood films thanks to her aunt.

Old Man Louie's wife and the matriarch of the household. Despite surviving a traumatic childhood as a peasant and sex worker before Louie acquired her as a wife, she maintains a cheerful, effusive temperament. She acts as a buffer against her husband's harshness and works diligently across the family's various enterprises.

A charismatic, handsome artist working in Shanghai. He specializes in "beautiful-girl" calendar advertisements that make local women famous across the city. Cosmopolitan and politically aware, he embraces modern ideas while capturing the idealized beauty of his subjects on canvas.

The mother of Pearl and May. She initially lives the life of a traditional, upper-class matron with bound feet, spending her days playing mah-jongg and managing servants. When violence strikes the city and her husband disappears, she demonstrates fierce resourcefulness to ensure her daughters escape the invading army.

The father of Pearl and May. He presents himself as a prosperous rickshaw business owner, but a severe gambling addiction leads him into massive debt with Shanghai's criminal underworld. To save himself from physical and financial ruin, he signs contracts forcing his daughters to marry foreign businessmen.

A notorious boss within Shanghai's infamous Green Gang. He operates in the city's criminal underworld, using violence and intimidation to collect debts from businessmen who gamble away their fortunes.

A childhood friend of May Chin who lives in Shanghai. He represents the carefree, cosmopolitan social circle the sisters enjoy before the Japanese invasion shatters their city.

An American girl who attends school with Pearl in Shanghai. Her family's presence in China highlights the international nature of the city, and she serves as a lingering connection to Pearl's past life through letters.

An American State Department employee and the father of Pearl's school friend. He represents the foreign diplomats who once lived comfortably in Shanghai before wartime politics forced them out or into internment camps.