1. A black businessman said that Freedom State was the best country in the world and that he had never experienced discrimination. He said illegals should not be given a free ticket to take advantage of the rules of civilized society. (298)
1.1. The businessman did not actually mean the compliment. For a country like Freedom State, he would not be spared by racists. However, he had to be hypocrite in front of everyone else who was in the meeting because he wanted to please them, especially the minister of immigration, by saying that he is against the undocumented black people.
2. George Maxwell is anyone in the government of Zantoroland. People who works in the government works for the president and not for Zantorolanders. They do not have limit when it comes to appeasing the president. To humiliate, torture, and kill are just a few of their skills as the government's puppets.
3. Discrimination
3.1. Sexuality
3.1.1. She wanted people to look for her stories and read them, without knowing or caring that she is blagaybulled-- black, gay, and disabled-- and proud of it. (69)
3.1.1.1. Viola has survived the life in AfricTown and in Freedom State as a whole. However, despite the difficulties she has overcome, being a lesbian added to the pile of reasons for people to pity, or worse, discriminate her. It affects her job as a sports writer because everyone knows her and it is impossible for readers to appreciate her work knowing that she chose to go against societal norms of sexuality.
3.1.2. "Cut him free yourself," Devlin said and rode away. She could see that she had made a permanent enemy of him, pulling rank in front of a civilian. Some guys couldn't take being outranked by a woman. (372)
3.1.2.1. Candace, just like any other man, has worked her way up as a police officer. She got the recognition she deserved, mostly from her supervisors. On the other hand, men who are in lower ranks do not share the victory. They believe that as a woman, she is expected to not exceed the limits predetermined by the conventional society where gender-specific roles are strictly followed.
3.1.3. "I am gay. Indeed, I am in Freedom State because I was outed by a medical rival at the Yagwa Hospital. You know what our country does to gays, right? Torture? Execution? You are aware?" -- DeNorval (245)
3.1.3.1. Unlike most of the illegals in Freedom State who flee to other countries in hopes of finding jobs and security, DeNorval left his country because of the fear of sexual discrimination. Although he could not practice his profession in Freedom State legally, he preferred to hide and be called an illegal than to be discriminated in his own country just because he is gay.
3.2. Race
3.2.1. People let him be, for the most part, except for the name-calling. Vanilla cake, ice cream, stracciatella, latte boy, cookies ‘n’ cream -- people had every sort of food name for him, because he was blacker than white but whiter than black. He had learned to deal with that. (101)
3.2.1.1. John Falconer, is called names because he is neither black nor white. He does not fit in any of the two groups residing in Freedom State. He did not try to categorize himself in order to be recognized as a part of either group, instead, he wrote an award-winning essay depicting the unity that South and North Ortizans are supposed to portray.
3.2.2. Instead of accelerating, Keita sang louder, while the runner behind him gasped and cursed. "Nigger," his competitor said. Not to worry. "Faggot." Bring it on. "Fagganig." (135)
3.2.3. They were fleeing troubles in Zantoroland and seeking work and prosperity. But Freedom State would not admit, acknowledge or legalize them, so they clustered in AfricTown. (112)
3.2.3.1. Because of the abolition of slavery, Zantorolanders were sent back to their country. However, many people comes back for various reasons, mostly to seek a better life. They travel in boats for weeks just to be sent away or if not, arrested and imprisoned. Freedom Statonians deny them the right to stay in a country where they are the ones who have built the foundation before it even became one of the wealthiest nations.
3.3. Age
3.3.1. "There is only one reason I am here before you," Ivernia said. "It is because of my age. Otherwise I would not be forced to submit to this humilatiating procedure." (344)
3.3.1.1. Ivernia Beech who just got distracted because she heard a child cry in her very relaxed and dreamy state. Her freedom is decided by that 30-second mistake where nobody got hurt. She could not use it as an excuse because it is out of context on how the world should work.
4. Hypocrisy
4.1. Prime Minister
4.1.1. "Was it worth it, Graeme? Are the silk sheets smooth out there in the white man's world?" (377)
4.1.1.1. Hypocrisy is another word for Prime Minister Wellington. He has the highest rank in the government which gives him the opportunity to promote equality and unity between South and North Ortizans, instead, he does the opposite to extremity. He does not even want his identity to be revealed. He is not white like the demonstrators but he acts like one just to despise his own kind.
4.2. Strangest bus ride for Keita
4.2.1. One did not hum or sing in public in Freedom State-- neither while walking around the street nor while sitting on a bus. People in this country took it as a sign if imbalance. To Keita, that itself was insanity. (178)
4.2.1.1. Feeling through Keita: The passengers were all strangers to each other but there is nothing wrong with singing or humming as long as it does not annoy the other passengers. If a person does not feel like singing, it is perfectly fine. However, not singing at all when you want to just because you are afraid to turn heads and could not bear to look at disgusted expressions directed to you, then that is hypocrisy. Those people who look at people who has the courage to express themselves in public, as if puzzled and annoyed, are the biggest hypocrites.
5. Tyrannical Governments
5.1. Zantoroland Government a.k.a. Pink Palace
5.1.1. “I thought the red cane was to mark refugees who had been returned to Zantoroland,” Keita said. “Looks like the authorities have widened the eligibility rules,” Yoyo said. “Now, it's a sign of all who oppose the government.” and Charity
5.1.2. The Tax
5.1.2.1. This is the ransom money required by the government from the family or relatives of an individual whom they have accused of being a dissident.
5.1.2.1.1. If the government gives enough time for the victim's family to pay for a reasonable amount of ransom money they require, they actually intend to free the captive once they get "the tax."
5.1.2.1.2. Unfortunately, even if people know that this is not how the government should work, they do not have a choice but to adhere to what they are told to do. The president is so transparent when it comes to the consequences of not complying with his rules. As a result, the Pink Palace always gets what it wants.
5.1.2.1.3. The Pink Palace asks for an impossible amount of money if their intention is to kill the captive.
5.1.3. He laughed and said any number of people working in the Pink Palace might be going by the name George Maxwell. It was the name to any operative behind the scenes on behalf of the government. (389)
5.1.4. Yoyo Ali was the only journalist in his country who had the courage to let the world know about the deal of deportation of illegals between the Zantoroland Government and Freedom State. The government did not hesitate to kill him when he refused to stop after they warned him to.
5.2. Freedom State
5.2.1. Pays its colleagues in the Pink Palace just to be able to send illegals back to Zantoroland. The president gladly accepted the deal because they were after the dissidents who were hiding in Freedom State. They would be forced to return just to get killed in their own country.
5.2.1.1. Things and acts can be illegal but considering that the government of Freedom State even pays a certain amount of money for each returnee they sent home, using 'illegal' as a term to refer to the undocumented refugees is just a confirmation on how devoid this country is of humanity.
5.2.1.2. A letter for the prime minister
5.2.2. "To identify a human being as illegal is to diminish his or her humanity." -Ivernia B. (298)
6. Oppression
6.1. Faloo ethnicity
6.1.1. “Masked men attacked Faloo shopkeepers, breaking bones, warning them to close their businesses and stealing whatever they could carry: suits, ties, coffeepots, radios, lamps, laptops. Faloo people barricaded their homes behind locked doors.” (25)
6.1.2. The government justifies why they kill Faloo people by saying that Faloo have already ruled long enough.
6.1.2.1. Keita's mother died after the palace guards assaulted them.
6.2. deportation of illegals
6.2.1. Two police officers began beating him with billy clubs. He crumpled to the ground. When they stopped, he offered his wrists. (74)
6.2.1.1. The police officers wanted to emphasize their power over the refugees. They want to show it in every possible way they could such as putting handcuffs on people. The Zantorolander refused to be handcuffed insisting that he is no criminal. The police officers in charge assumed that they are being offended by a mere refugee so they beat him until he submitted to them.
6.2.2. "None of them have permission to enter Freedom State. This makes them Illegals, which makes them criminals." (75)
6.2.3. Even when the government knows that they are able to legalize these people coming to the country, they choose not to because they are equally capable to so. They have the connection to the Zantoroland Government to make the process easier for them so they send as many illegals as they can back to their home, not caring no matter how long these people have spent their time on the sea to come here in hopes of a better country to live in.