Catfish and mandala is a story of not just a journey to find identity but also a journey of forgiveness and acceptance. Throughout the story, Andrew Pham is in conflict between his identity. After his brother (Chi/Minh) committed suicide, he finds himself questioning where his own roots and identity stand - looking outside of the confines of the identity confirmed at birth (similar to Chi/Minh's transgender identity). He bikes the Mexican desert for the first portion of his journey of self-identity. There he meets Tyle, a Vietnam War veteran who is separated from his wife and children. The veteran offers apologies to him for his deeds in the Vietnam war. This moment triggers Andrew's actual journey of identity of going back to Vietnam, as he
