As a recent immigrant, Mia becomes painfully aware that some people in America receive better treatment than others. Some are excluded from opportunity while others are included. Lupe sums up this concept when she discusses the two different roller coasters that perpetuate the pattern of keeping one group rich and the other group poor. Aside from the exclusivity of the rich, Mia also learns the exclusivity of natives compared to immigrants. Her mother emphatically says that Mia will never speak her adopted language as well as her schoolmates; she will forever be excluded from becoming an English-speaking writer.

Another form of exclusion that the novel examines is racism. The police immediately suspect Hank of stealing a motel guest’s car simply because he’s black. Their interrogation results in Hank’s job loss, which he passively accepts. He’s resigned to being treated poorly because of his skin color. Yao carries this prejudice one step further when he instructs the Tangs to refuse accommodations to all black people. In his mind, black equals bad.

Despite all these examples of exclusionary behavior in Front Desk, the novel also illustrates the theme of inclusion. Mia comes to regard the weeklies as her extended family.