Dee and To Korda, are potrayed as a hero and heroine, they were the couple that adopted Lia when she was put into foster care. They had four children and they were also expecting a fifth child. They spoke well of Foua and Nao Kao though no one else did. They underwent a lot of problems with Lia like her uncontrollable crying. Dee loved Lia and always treated her well and even breastfed Lia along with her kid.
Jeanine Hilt is also potrayed as a heroine, she is a social worker who truly cares for the Hmong culture and truly fights for Lia's course, she is at war path with the medical establishment over Lia's cause, she goes to court to petition for the Korda family to be paid a $1,000.00 for the challenges Lia brought to the family. She also spent a lot of time with the Lee family so as to educate them on how to take care of Lia so that the family can have full custody of Lia.
Nao Kao never appreciated Sue Xiong since he thought that what Sue Xiong had done was aginist theHmong culture by being married by someone who was not Hmong, so he never liken Sue Xiong. He even once threatened to beat Sue Xiong to death if she ever visited her home. Nao Kao is potrayed as a chauvinist individual who had low regard for women, he is even wary and doesn't like Jeanine Hilt even though Hilt had sacrificed a lot for the Family. In the character of Nao Kao, Faidman potrays the stereotype in most traditional cultures that have no place for women.
Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp, they are Lias main doctors in the Medical Centre, they learn a lot about the Hmong but never understand the concept of soul in healing. They also contribute in a way to Lia's loss and the pain she underwent. This was in the many medications they gave her and never worked. In their character Faidman tries to prove that even modern medicine can fail just like the traditional medicine does.
