View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Lalami, the following is a definition of what: “a system that gives members of the dominant group both immediate and generational benefits that are not accessible to members of non-dominant groups” (99).

2. What year does Christine Blasey Ford say the event in her testimony occurred?

3. What is the first thing Lalami cites in "Do Not Despair This Country," as a path to equal citizenship in America?

4. What box does Lalami say she used to check when first confronted with American paperwork that included a section on race?

5. What are some ways Lalami says she saved money after moving in with her boyfriend to a better neighborhood?

Short Essay Questions

1. "Inheritance" describes Christine Blasey Ford's testimony. What did she allege happened to her in 1982? Who was the perpetrator?

2. What does Lalami cite as different between the way Moroccans and Americans view those living in poverty?

3. Despite growing up poor, what advantage did Lalami have in Morocco which she said "granted [her] access to elite groups" (127)?

4. Aside from race, what are other conditions Lalami says impacts a citizens relationship with the state in "Do Not Despair This Country"?

5. How was Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's life impacted after she came forward with allegations against Kavanaugh? What was the end result for Kavanaugh?

6. In what ways were the crack epidemic and the opioid epidemic handled differently and why?

7. What does Lalami describe about her neighbors in Koreatown after an earthquake hit?

8. Who coined the term "white fragility," and what does it mean?

9. In "Tribe," what does Lalami note about how American students are taught about Black figures?

10. In what ways does Thomas Jefferson's claim that "all men are created equal" contradict his life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze Lalami's decision to juxtapose some of the story with her experience caring for her mother-in-law after she began to show signs of dementia. Why do you think Lalami chose to incorporate this story into the narrative? Do you think it was effective? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

What do border walls signify in Conditional Citizens? What specific border walls are discussed in the book? How do these walls impact the narrative and develop themes of citizenship and inequality?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing Lalami's language style and word choice in Conditional Citizens. What are some words that stand out to you and why? What words are repeated? What words are most impactful? Explain your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 780 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample