The story begins with the narrator deciding to pursue her journey to the United States, The narrator sits at his window and recalls his first day at school, where other students are rude to him because he asks for help in Spanish. As he walks home, he overhears a group of men making fun of Latinos and wishes he could escape his reality. At home, he calls his grandmother and she tells him about the journey his grandpa made to come to the United States. He lies down to sleep, only then realizing his window is still open.
Pre-reading:
- Do you remember your first day of school? What were you wearing? Did you walk to school, go by bicycle, in a car, on a bus ….? How were you feeling that day? Draw a picture of your first day at school, wherever it was.
- Do you dream when you sleep? Do you remember your dreams?
- What other kinds of dreams do you have, when you are not asleep? Sometimes when we say the word “dreams”, we really mean our hopes, wishes or plans. What are your dreams?
- Have you heard the word, “undocumented”? Where were you? Who said it? What does it mean to you? Write this down.
- Can you draw a picture of a dream you’ve had when you were sleeping?
- Can you draw a picture of a dream you have that represents your hopes, wishes, desires?
Post-reading:
- Do you have any neighbors who say things to you that upset you? Have you ever heard a neighbor say something to another neighbor?
- What images do you think of when you hear the word deportation? Can you draw these pictures?
- The writer calls her grandmother and says she is worried. When you are worried about something, do you always tell someone? Who do you tell? Why do you tell this person? Do you ever worry about something but not tell anyone about your worry?
- What do you do if you are worried about something, but you don’t want or cannot tell anyone? What do you worry about?
- Do you remember your dreams (hopes, wishes, desires) when you were younger?
- Have your dreams changed from before you were in the USA to now?
- Draw a Venn Diagram like the example (or print the included PDF). Compare your dreams from before you left your country to your present-day dreams. How are they the same? How are they different?