Locations, Locations, Locations
This neighborhood in Los Angeles is where Luis Rodriguez grew up as a child.
What is Watts.
This parent is described as almost 40, with 4 or 5 children from 3 or 4 other women, stoic, unfeeling, and unmoved.
Who is Luis' father.
This is the reason why at 9 months pregnant, women would cross into the United States and have their babies.
What is to have the baby be a US citizen.
This type of summary consists of asking yourself: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.
What is Gist Summary.
Close reading means a text should be read at least this many times.
What is three times.
Before coming to California, Luis' parents used to live in this U.S. state.
What is Texas.
Luis and his family moved to Watts at the behest of this person.
Who is the older sister/half sister.
The Mexican section of Watts was known as this.
What is La Colonia or The Quarter.
Luis uses diction to describe his parents as a "dichotomous couple" meaning that they are...
What is they are completely different people, total opposites, sun and moon, curandera and biologist, dreamer and realist, fire woman and water man.
This is the purpose of the first reading.
What is to gain a general understanding of the text, to get the central idea, key details, GIST.
This is the city in the state of Texas that Luis' family came from.
What is El Paso.
The name Seni was an inversion of this name.
What is Ines, the father's ex-girlfriend.
Luis describes his first exposure in America as this.
What is a foul odor.
Luis compares immigrants and America as "phlegm stuck in the collective throat of this country." The comparison is known as this.
What is a metaphor.
This is the purpose of the second reading.
What is to examine language, structure, think of author's word choice, point of view, theme of text.
Before crossing over to the American side, Luis' dad lived in this Mexican city.
What is Ciudad Juarez.
Luis' dad was "disowned" by his father General Cristobal, for neglecting medical school and instead doing this.
What is falling for a woman.
This is the name of the park where Luis' mother was "kicked out" from her bench by a white, American woman.
What is Will Rogers Park.
An assertion made by Luis states that restrictive covenants prevented "undesirables" from moving in. Undesirables means this.
What is immigrants, latino, blacks, non-white people.
This is the purpose of the third reading.
What is to make inferences, make opinions/arguments, make intertextual connections.
This is how the author, Luis describes the city of Watts.
This (baby) sister died as an infant after accidentally eating some chicharrones and was later photographed dead in a tiny wood coffin.
Who is Lisa.
According to Luis, this became the new barrier, keeping Mexicans in their neighborhoods over on the vast east side of the city.
What is the L.A. River.
Luis says these things are used as "barriers" to keep Mexicans in their neighborhoods and out of White areas.
What is the L.A. River, schools not allowing Spanish or people to be Mexican, railroad tracks.
These are the number of steps we need to take as we follow our close reading guide.
What is five.