At what point in The Namesake is the theme of identity evident?

I would think that when Gogol is confronted by the reality
that there is a void in his life that cannot be explained through traditional analysis,
this would be one of the first moments where the theme of identity is apparent.  Gogol
is raised as the typical first generation immigrant child.  While his parents were
subject to the conditions of struggling to balance their identity between the life they
led in the home country and the one found in America, Gogol did not.  His identity was
completely based in the new world.  For all practical purposes, he was "American."  
This consisted of living out the American vision of identity, complete with American
girlfriend, and conceptions of wealth and privilege apparent.  In this, Gogol was set
and his identity shaped.  Yet, when Gogol himself recognizes that this conception of
identity is not satisfying, does not quench the thirs for answers, and when some
emptiness is still present, he is compelled to reshape his identity, allowing him to
establish connection to both his ethnicity and his psychology.  It is at this point
where the theme of identity and the process of its exploration becomes extremely
important to Lahiri's work.