Text Sets
• Movies: o West Side Story (1961) Hispanic gangs team up in an award-winning musical to tell the story of Romeo &Juliet in modern America with all of its problems. o Boyz N the Hood (1991) Problems of growing up as African-Americans in South Central
L.A., gang violence, and family issues. o Born in East L.A.(1987) Humorous look at discrimination against Mexican-Americans and immigration policies. o Dancer, TX Pop. 81 (1998) Story of four small town Anglo-American boys growing up and facing conflicts with parents and issues of independence. o City Slickers(1991) A particular clip in this movie would be useful to the class's understanding of Manny's family problems: as the three friends drive cattle, Bruno
Kirby's character describes the best and worst day, a time when he stood up to his unfaithful father for the good of his family.
(Hudson)
• Poetry: “Sonrisas” by Pat Mora
• Music: “Do You Know” or “Dimelo” by Enrique Iglesias o This is the same song but in English or Spanish. It could be paired with ch. 4 and played as if the thoughts of Manny’s mom who is enduring a relationship with someone who acts like he doesn’t care about her. Violence and/or gender issues could be discussed here. • Related texts: o Ortego, Phillip. (1975)."Between Two Cultures." Chicano Voices. Ed. Carlota Cardenas de
Dwyer. Dallas: Houghton Mifflin. pp. 19-25. This essay describes the migration of
Mexicans into America from earlier time periods and