From the Book of Unknown Americans

“They think we’re Americans now. And maybe we are! Maybe we don’t belong there anymore after all.” What causes the father to make this statement?

• The father regrets leaving Panama because he now knows that his classmates are angry that he left.

• The father misunderstands what the class president is trying to say and assumes that he is jealous that the father left Panama and became an American citizen.

• The class president suggests that an American citizenship has no value.

• The class president accuses the father of being better than everyone who stayed in Panama because the father left and became an American citizen.

Which definition most closely matches the way the word froth is used in paragraph 22?

• definition 1

• definition 2

• definition 3

• none of these

What lesson does the narrator learn when his family goes to the beach?

• His mother likes living in America even though she misses her old home.

• His family now feels more at home in Delaware than in Panama.

• American beaches are more beautiful than beaches in Panama.

• Enrique is materialistic because he is only concerned with his sneakers.

Which is a possible theme from The Book of Unknown Americans?

• If you love something, let it go.

• Cheaters never win.

• Don't worry about what others think about you.

• Always try your best.

Which sentence best foreshadows that the family will NOT return to Panama?

• They needed to believe they’d done the right thing and that it made sense.

• Enrique was in school, and I started too.

• But while they waited for that day, they started making friends.

• And before they knew it, we had a life here.

Which excerpt from the selection best represents the theme that immigrants are sometimes confused about their identity?

• I was less than a year old when my parents brought my brother and me to the United States. (paragraph 1)

• I spent a lot of time trying to find it in me, but usually I couldn’t. I felt more American than anything, but even that was up for debate. . . . (paragraph 3)

• I let her, too, even though every time she did, instead of comforting me, it only made me more scared. (paragraph 24)

• That year around the holidays we were all miserable. Holidays were always bad. . . . (paragraph 26)

Read these sentences from paragraph 4. They had left their lives once before. They didn’t want to do it again. What theme is suggested by these sentences?

• Moving somewhere new will not make your life better.

• Once you leave a place, people will forget you.

• People should be happy with what they have.

• Starting over in a new place is difficult.

What is the primary theme explored in 'The Book of Unknown Americans'?

• Identity and belonging

• Adventure and exploration

• Wealth and success

• Love and romance

Which character in 'The Book of Unknown Americans' struggles the most with adapting to American culture?

• Mayor Toro

• Maribel Rivera

• Alma Rivera

• Rafael Toro

In 'The Book of Unknown Americans', what motivates Alma Rivera to move to the United States?

• To escape political unrest

• To seek better medical care for her daughter

• To pursue a job opportunity

• To join her extended family