How does the author of Barrio Boy use sequence to create a strong personal narrative? He begins by making comparisons between the United States and Mexico, then finishes with a description of his Mexican neighborhood. He begins by describing his hometown in Mexico, then his travels to the United States, then the things he discovers in US. He begins by writing about his hotel room, then his first English lessons, and concludes with a train ride to Nogales. He begins by explaining the differences between Mexican and American money, then finishes with a description of the American flag.

Why is Ernesto nervous about starting school in America?

he does not speak English

In what way is Ernesto like the other students in his class?

most of them do not speak English and are foreign students

How is Ernesto's school in California different from his school in Mexico?

CA: painted yellow with a shingled roof, automatic door, school director called a principal and female

How does Miss Ryan react when Ernesto tries to compare English and Spanish pronunciation?

replies "oh", and continues in English

Why do students from all cultures feel safe being themselves at the school?

not punished for speaking their language on the playground, Miss Ryan teaching English in way that still values their original culture

The insults that Galarza says the children learn from the elders probably refer to a person's ?

race, culture, or ethnicity

What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?

fact: can be proven true; opinion: belief

Give an example of a fact and an opinion from the story.

fact: teacher called them by their birth names; opinion: Ernesto is cool

Who is the "barrio boy" in the title?

Ernesto Galarza

How can Miss Ryan best be described?

tall, energetic, encouraging, competent

What genre is Barrio Boy?

auto-biography

From the story, what can you infer about the way Ernesto feels about school?

likes school

What Point of View is this story told from?

first person of Ernesto Galarza

What is an autobiography?

author writing about himself or herself

Define: reassuring, contraption, assured, formidable. Use them each in a sentence.

reassuring: comforting, He was trying to be as reassuring as possible when the little boy was nervous.; contraption: strange machine or gadget, The girl watched in awe as she saw the contraption work.; assured: promise confidently, I assured Abby that she would have a good day at school.; formidable: awe-inspiring and impressive, It was formidable when the man in the wheelchair won the gold medal.

Why do you think Ernesto Galarza chose to tell his life story as an autobiography rather than as a short story, novel, or essay? Write a paragraph explaining your answer with supporting ideas from the text.

I think Ernesto Galarza chose to tell his life story as an autobiography rather than as something else like an essay, novel, or short story for several reasons. Ernesto probably wanted to write this part of his life as an autobiography so he could tell it from his point of view, and people who were or are in similar situations can understand that he went through the same thing. He also probably wanted to tell about Lincoln School and how they made him feel reassured about school. I know this from when he says, "We never got scolded or punished for speaking our native tongue, and the teachers called us as our parents did, or as close as they could in Spanish or Japanese." This would have been important to Ernesto because he wanted to show how they did not make him forget who he was, and they were not trying to remake him as a pure American. Instead, the teachers at Lincoln School wanted them to become proud Americans as well as keeping their heritage and cultures.