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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. Approximately how many islands comprise the Philippines?

2. Who is Peter Perl's wife?

3. What book of Toni Morrison's did the author read in eighth grade as part of the book club that moved him greatly?

4. When did Rolan move to the U.S.?

5. What Stevie Wonder song does the author describe playing while driving to appease his anxiety in Part 2, Chapter 11?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author describe the racial and ethnic makeup of Crittenden Middle School in Part 1, Chapter 4?

2. What books and authors was Vargas introduced to through watching Oprah Winfrey's show?

3. What high school teacher got Vargas into journalism? Why?

4. What shaped the author's perceptions about America before he arrived here? How did he perceive the reality after he arrived?

5. When was the first time the author willfully broke the law? Why?

6. How was the author able to attend college?

7. What musical was the author moved by when watching the 1998 Tony Awards? Why?

8. What are some of the movies that the author watched in his immersion into American culture, as described in Part 1, Chapter 1? What did he think of them?

9. What does the author say this book is about (and not about) in the Prologue?

10. For what did the author win the Pulitzer Prize? How did he react?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, the book is divided into three parts. Name each of these parts and discuss the meaning of the titles. How do these titles reflect upon the universality of the undocumented immigrant experience? How do they apply directly to the author's experiences? What symbolism connects to these titles?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the colonial history of the Philippines. Who first colonized the Philippines? How did this colonization influence culture, economy, and politics of the region? What country took "ownership" of the Philippines after this? How did this influence the country's culture, economy, and politics?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's media appearances since his first "coming out" essay in the New York Times Magazine. On what media outlets has he been a guest? What does he remark about these experiences? How have these experiences shaped the author's perspectives?

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