I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

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. According to Pew Research Center, as of 2017, 36.6 million individuals living in the United States identified as being from Mexican descent. Read the sources below and provide a brief summary of the history of Mexican immigration to the United States. What year did it start? Where do many Mexican American communities live within the United States today? What are some of the challenges facing these communities as a whole?

Teaching Suggestion: Use this question to ensure that students have a general overview of the history of the Mexican American community in the United States. This question provides statistical context to Julia’s narrative in the novel. Furthermore, the topic of Mexican Americans in Chicago in the Britannica source links directly with the novel, since Julia lives in Chicago.

• This article from Pew Research Center provides statistical information on Mexican Americans.
• This topic list of Britannica articles provides information on Mexican American history in the United States, including some research on the Mexican American community in Chicago.

2. Many individuals from Latin America, including those from Mexico, have reported violent atrocities in their attempt to cross the border from Mexico to the United States. Additionally, for those who are able to make it across the border, many experience further violence and prejudice at detention centers. Read the sources below and consider the following questions: What are some of the situations that individuals experience as they cross the border? What strategies do some organizations recommend for ending this violence?

Teaching Suggestion: This question could be linked with the second longer essay question on Grief and Guilt related to Amá’s character, as well as with the third Recommended Text for Pairing, Tortilla Curtain.

• This article from History.com provides a brief overview of violence relating to immigration and the formation of the present-day border.
• This article from Human Rights Watch discusses concerns regarding human rights violations at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Short Activity

Research a famous person from the Mexican American community and share their story with the class. Make sure to share their background as well as their accomplishments.

Teaching Suggestion: This works as an in-class activity or as a homework assignment. Students should use their research to prepare a short, 5–10-minute presentation on their chosen individual. Encourage students to be creative in their presentation, particularly in incorporating videos, art, and images, if relevant.