Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. What is Rico’s nickname for Victor?

2. Who does Rico joke about shaking the hand of when he arrives in the United States?

3. Where did Victor’s family flee from?

4. Where does Victor’s mother advise him to go to pray before attempting to leave Mexico?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are the differences between Rico and Victor’s characters, and what scenes in the novel illustrate these differences?

2. Why is Victor so careful?

3. Why does Rico want to go to the United States? What behaviors reflect his desire?

Paired Resource

“Extended Interview: A Human Smuggler”

• This article is an interview with a smuggler from Mexico who describes what he does for a living.
• Shared themes include The American Dream and Hard Work and Globalization and the Changing Economy.
• What is the difference between a pollero and a coyote? How does “Rafael” feel about people who aspire to work as a pollero? What type of training is typical for a pollero? How might the work of a pollero be considered differently in Mexico and the United States? What percentage of immigrants are successful in crossing the US border?