The Book of Unknown Americans by https://padlet.com/daturner/ypwk7v5qafem This is the small group, book club circle where you will discuss ideas with other educators who read the same book. Please post a reflection about how the content of this book relates to your teaching practice. For example, share specific examples, events and quotes from the text that were significant to you or caused you to consider more deeply the experiences your students may have had. Post one reflection (2-3 paragraphs) by Thursday, August 1st and respond to at least two other posts by Thursday August 8th. en-us 2019-07-29 10:59:42 UTC 2025-12-17 15:03:06 UTC hello@padlet.com pthumel https://padlet.com/daturner/ypwk7v5qafem/wish/372572722 When I was reading the Book of Unknown Americans, one of the biggest things that stuck out to me that I will keep with me when teaching this next school year was how different each person’s story was. When teaching in the classroom, I often clump my ESOL students together in terms of the challenges they may be facing. Although they may have similarities in their challenges with learning the language, their personal struggles may vary greatly. I saw this difference between Maribelle’s and Mayor’s lives. At first their stories seem very similar. Both families left their home families to create a better life for their children. However, they did so in very different ways. Mayor’s family left Panama to escape the death and destruction that was occurring. Maribelle’s family left so she could get the education she needed. The impact of why each family left carried on in each child’s life and personal decisions throughout the story. 

      In addition, I found it interesting that despite the adult’s personal differences they pulled together to create their own community. The residences in the building were from many Latin American countries including Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. No matter where or why they came to America they supported each other when someone new came into the building, when the AC went out in the building, and when Maribelle’s dad died. However, in their individual countries, there is often racial tensions, such as Guastavo Milhojas described when he said “no one in Mexico wanted anything to do with a Guatemalan”. But all of that went away when they were living together in America. 

In conclusion, as I move forward with my teaching I want to make it my goal to not just look at my ELLs as a group with specific learning goals but to start to understand the unique differences they have based on their culture and background as it builds on their learning experiences. ]]> 2019-07-29 12:56:54 UTC https://padlet.com/daturner/ypwk7v5qafem/wish/372572722 chessiecalloway https://padlet.com/daturner/ypwk7v5qafem/wish/372593402 The content of this book relates to my teaching practice in many ways. It helps me to be more aware of the different cultures that make up my classroom. It creates a sense of empathy in me that I want to encourage in my entire classroom. I am now have a better understanding of what some of my students and their families have gone through. It encourages me to reach out and learn more about who my students are individually and learn about their cultures.
Alma is Maribel’s mother and she talks about her worries and challenges throughout the novel. She also mentions her difficulties with blending in with Americans. For example, she says, “I turned on the television for company and studied people’s mouths as they spoke English, trying my best to replicate the sounds, even though I had no idea what they were saying.” I especially like this quote because it really captures how some immigrants may feel when they are trying to adapt to a new culture, language and land. I cannot imagine that feeling of loneliness and that sort of culture shock. It really showed me how much it could affect a person and their family.


]]> 2019-07-29 17:15:59 UTC https://padlet.com/daturner/ypwk7v5qafem/wish/372593402 AlsashaConley https://padlet.com/daturner/ypwk7v5qafem/wish/372754255 Reading The Book of Unknown Americans, a few things struck me repeatedly. The impressions the book has left on me have impacted the way I think about my students, as well as countless other members of my community. The themes that stuck out to me were the isolation the immigrants experience, the injustices that often occur at their expense, and that although each individual has a completely unique story, there are ties that bind them together.
Throughout the story, I found myself trying to imagine what it would be like to experience the isolation that the immigrants felt upon coming to the US. Early in the book, Alma talks about the challenges of language and cultural barriers, down to every day things like the food that is available grocery stores. As an educator, this reminds me the importance of reaching out to non-native families, and encouraging them to be part of our school community. I can only imagine how intimidating that could be, but being sure to contact/ interact with them frequently and openly could certainly help.
Several of the immigrants in the story tell tales of injustices that they experienced. In Alma’s chapter starting on page 180, she talks about Arturo losing his job - being fired when he hadn’t done anything wrong, and then desperately searching for work only to end up losing their visa status. This reminds me how many hardships immigrant families can face, and how much more difficult things can be than we might expect. I think that it is important to keep in my mind that some families, and as a result the students we work with, may be facing situations that are out of their control, despite their best efforts to provide for their family.
As the novel bounces between narrators, it becomes clear that each individual has a very different story and life experience. However, a clear common thread is that they all want to do what is best for their families. I think that this is something that everyone everywhere in the world can relate to. As educators, it is important to remember that all of the parents of our students, including but not limited to immigrant families, are doing what they can to support their children. We should keep in mind that immigrant families in particular are likely facing greater challenges in order to accomplish this goal. I think that being aware of the hardships someone faces can help us better understand and appreciate what they are doing.
Overall, these feelings of isolation, hardships, and familial obligation are not unique to immigrants, as all people experience them at some point to some degree. However, it seems that all three have the potential to carry much more weight and be significantly more challenging when faced with the uncertainty and high stakes of being in an immigrant.]]> 2019-07-31 01:12:19 UTC https://padlet.com/daturner/ypwk7v5qafem/wish/372754255 The Book of Unknown Americans torrence04 https://padlet.com/daturner/ypwk7v5qafem/wish/372757702 There were a few things in the book that were thought provoking that I know relate to my teaching practice. 
In one of Mayor's chapters, Maribel describes to Mayor what happened in her accident. Her words are fairly limited and Mayor fill in some of the assumable blanks, but Maribel says that she "just wants to be like everyone else". I think this relates to just more than ELL students. I know as educators we talk about "equity" and giving students "what they need", but I think it is a strong point to understand that children wanted to be treated like their peers to some extent. They want to be accepted. In this case Maribel was not talking about language barriers or her migrating to the US, she was referring to how she wanted to be treated as a person.
 I think this just resonates with the fact that as educators we know how important it is to make a classroom community where students are treated equitably, but also a community in which they feel accepted and part of a group of people who see them as people. I know in my classroom creative a positive culture is important and that is something that I want to continue to do. I want the students to care about each other in the same way that Mayor cared about Maribel in this chapter. 
Another part of the book that resonated with me was the story of Quisqueya Solis. She very briefly describes her life in Venezuela, but from what she says that life was a happy one. She experienced her trauma of being raped and blamed by her mother after she came to the US. Sometimes I think that the statement "for a better life" is used when we are referring to moving to the United States but for her this was not a better life. There are still hardships to face when migrants come to America. She even became a citizen but still struggled until she was well into adulthood. 
Its important to remember that students, ELL or not, may have experienced trauma that we do not even know about. She explains that no one in her life knows what she has gone through and I think for some of our students we will never know their story which is hard to think about. I think that migrant families may experience these traumas and we will never know about them. In some cases, making school a safe place and supporting our students in a positive uplifting way may be some of the only compassion that they have experienced in a long time.     ]]> 2019-07-31 01:37:59 UTC https://padlet.com/daturner/ypwk7v5qafem/wish/372757702 laurencgrace1 https://padlet.com/daturner/ypwk7v5qafem/wish/373301923 When reading The Book of Unknown Americans, I was struck by the power and resonance of individual's stories.  To me, the title refers to the fact that immigrants in the United States are often painted with a broad brush.  Rather than inviting people to tell their individual stories, assumptions are made about them in the media, in political rhetoric, and even in education.  

The families described in this book reveal the unique motivations struggles of immigrant families, as well as some common themes that link all Americans.  Maribel's family, like all families, wants the very best education for their daughter, and they are willing to sacrifice a predictable and comfortable life in Mexico in order to provide it.  The Toros endured economic insecurity and bigotry, so that their son could go to college.  All American parents can relate to the desire to sacrifice in order to ensure a better life for their children.

To me, this quote from Micho Alavarez captured the theme of the book, “We're the unknown Americans, the ones no one even wants to know, because they've been told they're supposed to be scared of us and because maybe if they did take the time to get to know us, they might realize that we're not that bad, maybe even that we're a lot like them. And who would they hate then?” Although our individual stories are powerful and certainly worth telling, their value lies in the commonalities that they reveal among all of us.

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