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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What color shirt does Papi want on Sunday morning?

2. Which amenity does Esmeralda's family share with another family?

3. Which trolley stop number is Esmeralda's new home located at?

4. What does Abuela offer Esmeralda in case she gets hungry before bed?

5. Which saying opens "The American Invasion of Macun"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is a jamona?

2. Why does Esmeralda have to take the children to Dona Ana's house at the beginning of "Mami Gets a Job"?

3. According to Papi, why do Americans speak Spanish so poorly?

4. Why does Papi cry in "Fighting Naked"?

5. Explain the concept of dignidad.

6. Explain how Esmeralda feels about the treatment of jibaros.

7. How does Esmeralda react when Mami dresses up to go to the factory in Toa Baja?

8. Describe the song at the opening of "The American Invasion of Macun".

9. How does Abuela treat Esmeralda's injury?

10. Explain why Esmeralda feels she has been punished for choosing to work with her father instead of listening to her mother.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the way sexuality is treated throughout Esmeralda's life. How is she educated about sex and sexuality? How do events in her life teach her about sexuality? Consider various points in the memoir, including but not limited to the sexual relationship between Mami and Papi, the interaction between Tato and Esmeralda, the interaction between Esmeralda and Don Luis.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze Santiago's treatment of her bilingual experience throughout the memoir. Discuss, for example, the way she transcribes her Puerto Rican accent in dialogue, the way she handles Spanish words in the text, and the glossary of Puerto Rican and Spanish words in the back of the book. What issues arise surrounding the treatment of English, Spanish, and "Spanglish" in the book?

Essay Topic 3

How does Santiago address issues of Puerto Rican identity in this memoir about her childhood and immigration experience? To Santiago, what does it mean to be Puerto Rican? What does it mean to be a Puerto Rican girl living in the United States? How are these two identities different? How are they similar? Support your response with evidence from the text.

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