American Like Me

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The metaphor of a melting pot to describe America’s heterogenous culture came into popular usage in 1908, when playwright Israel Zangwill wrote the play The Melting Pot: The Great American Drama. When you think of the term melting pot, what comes to mind? Do you think it’s an apt descriptor for modern American culture still, even over 100 years since the term was originally coined?

Teaching Suggestion: To better understand the theme of the United States as a Salad Bowl, Not a Melting Pot, it can be helpful for students to first have a basic understanding of the term melting pot and its origins. In this discussion, you might choose to highlight playwright Israel Zangwill’s immigrant background as the son of Jewish immigrants from Russia; you might discuss the literal definition of a melting pot; and/or you might read an excerpt from Zangwill’s original play (found here). Consider accessing or sharing the following or similar resources to help inform this work.

• “Israel Zangwill and the Melting Pot“ examines the history of and the negative connotations associated with the term melting pot.
• Definition of Melting Pot from Oxford Reference provides a general definition of the term.
• This entry offers a critical examination of the term Melting Pot within the contexts of multiculturalism, assimilation, and populism.

2. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, as of 2022, there are 103 million forcibly displaced people worldwide—72% of those refugees originate from just five countries. Research what those countries are and identify what they have in common. In addition, examine the differences and similarities between the categories of refugee and migrant.

Teaching Suggestion: The five countries from which most of the world’s refugees hail are the Syrian Arab Republic (6.8 million), Venezuela (5.6 million), Ukraine (5.4 million), Afghanistan (2.8 million), and South Sudan (2.4 million). Consider exploring the statistics found on the United Nations Refugee Agency’s Data Finder with the class to help students identify how war, famine, disease, and debilitating poverty influence emigration. Consider connecting this research and any resulting discussions with the book's theme of Survival as a Catalyst for Immigration. It might also be beneficial to utilize the following or similar resources to help inform this work.

• “Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Migrants“ features definitions, statistics, and context from Amnesty International.
• “What's the Difference Between a Migrant and a Refugee?“ is an encyclopedia entry offering an explanation of the critical difference between the two terms.

Differentiation Suggestion: The United Nations’ Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is a rich source of information on the worldwide refugee community. As an extension for advanced learners and/or students who demonstrate logical/mathematical intelligence, consider sharing the UNHCR's Data Insights website for students to explore the data behind refugees’ lived experiences. Students who demonstrate interest might want to further explore through the following UNHCR reports: “Born into a Refugee Life,” “More Than 100 Million People are Forcibly Displaced,” and “Forced Displacement Flow Dataset.”

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

What is one thing about your personality that, based on initial appearances, might surprise people when they get to know you? Have you ever misjudged someone, based on appearances alone? How were your initial judgments incorrect, and how did you come to discover this?

Teaching Suggestion: If students are interested in discussing the prompt, their responses to it, or the topic in general, consider sharing this Psychology Today article with students first to ground the discussion in research and related theory and terminology. You might introduce students to the book's theme of Stigmatization, or Perception Versus Reality in light of the article's revelations about the difficulties of remaining neutral or judgment-free. If students are interested in data demonstrating the mixed perceptions—and misperceptions—of immigration’s impact on US society, consider accessing or sharing this Pew Research Center article or similar resources with students to help inform their thinking.