The refugee allegory
This story can be seen as an allegory pointing to the difficult adjustments that immigrants and refugees must endure to become part of their communities in America while learning language and culture on the fly. As an immigrant, Stephanos has much to brag about; he has a career, and he is involved in his community. This gradual journey toward success makes him feel bittersweet because he appreciates his success while still mourning the loss of his homeland and culture. He was not interested in moving to America; rather, he was forced out of Ethiopia by violence and instability.
Naomi as a symbol
Naomi is a walking symbol for Stephanos. She represents youth which means she symbolizes the future in a natural way, and as a woman, she represents the foil to Stephanos's experience of life. She is a young girl and he is an older man. One of the most obvious parts of life to him is the clear division between white communities and black communities, but Naomi is half-black-half-white, so she naturally symbolizes a future of racial harmony. Her physical organism is living proof that we are all essentially the same.
Judith's shocking arrival
Judith's entrance into a fully black community raises a lot of eyebrows, and it invites interpretation by the reader. This portrait is evidence that points to a lingering disconnect in America between white and black cultures which stems from a long history of terrible racism and hatred. That is part of what Judith carries as a symbol; she symbolizes the tension between white and black communities that still exists despite the undeniable progress the nation has made. There is no getting around it; she still sticks out like a sore thumb, a symbol that points toward a hope of harmony.
The "home" motif
For this refugee, there is no home to speak of. His real home is in America where he has his lease and his job, where he makes a daily living running a grocery store. But, his emotional and mental home is in Ethiopia. Through nostalgia, we see that his home is gone forever; Ethiopia still exists, but not the Ethiopia which was truly home to him. The diaspora of refugees shares this home/homeless emotional baggage, as does anyone who makes such a staggering expatriation.
American culture and absurdity
One of the most helpful books that gets taught in a classical American education is de Tocqueville's two volume book about American culture. Because he was not indoctrinated to automatically view life in the American way, de Tocqueville offers a more objective reflection on American culture which bears striking similarities to what Sepha Stephanos realizes upon moving from Ethiopia. The motif points to the American Dream as a narrative mythology, and also the consumerism which fuels the capitalistic economy of America.
