what is the author trying to say about immigration in the color of water?

The American Dream

Immigration is seen as the dream of a safe haven; the American Dream if you will. The Shilsky's arrive in America and know that they have a fresh start awaiting them. They settle in Virginia and open a shop. Conflict arises between parent and child as the children begin to assimilate into their new culture, particularly is relation to Mameh who sees no need to embrace the American culture of language.

Immigration and assimilation changes ones identity. Rachel has undergone an official name change; she strive throughout high school to appear "less Jewish," and after her marriage she becomes truly Americanized and understanding of the fact that her destiny is her own.

In writing this novel, the author has had the opportunity to show us what immigration is like. The story doesn't mirror everyone's experiences, but it's important to realize the transformations, hardships, changes that accompany the dream of starting over somewhere new. Immigrants may embrace their new culture or try to hold onto their own, but when family members pull in opposite directions those opportunities sometimes place a wedge between people that can never be overcome. Ruth lost one family and gained another; she found the American Dream her parents had immigrated to achieve, but it wasn't the dream they had planned.