Yes, of course her identity is divided. She was born in one country and raised in another. Even in the United States, she was tied to the Cambodian community; her aunt worked in that community. In one chapter, she mentions how, when she was at Cornell, she began reading the archives about the Cambodian genocide, but soon abandoned the archives back to their dusty shelves. She wasn't ready then to confront her divided identity, but when the Old Musician's letter arrives, she debates herself for a while, but then makes the decision that the time has come to confront who she is and where she came from. In Cambodia, she is seen as "one of us, yet not one of us," emphasizing still more her divided identity. She is drawn to finding out all about what made her the person she is.