Immigration, learning who you are and moving on....

American Street by Ibi Zoboi (2017)
Multicultural Title
Image result for american street by ibi zoboi summary paper


This story has a title that is very symbolic to issues that are happening now in the Americas today. This story begins in an airport where a girl named Fabiola and her mother are coming to the Americas from their home in Haiti. Fabiola tells the story of her mom and the struggles she goes through to live with her in the United States. They are coming to Detroit which Fabiola paints a picture through her words and the difference between Americas and Haiti. The weather is a change for Fabiola and her mother. She talks about how to get cold air in Haiti, you have to climb to the top of the mountain. All of her cousins she meets are not so nice to her. They make fun of her not really knowing what a fridge, and household accessories are for. All this time, Fabiola's mom is being detained by immigrant officials which makes her have to live with her aunt and cousins. As time goes on, Fabiola draws closer to her cousins but is giving a ultimatum by the police. If she can find information about her cousin's boyfriend that is suspected to have killed someone because of a drug overdose, they may be able to release her mother. The ending of this story is tragic with the wrong person being at the wrong place and time. The family ends up leaving Detroit and Fabiola's mom is released for them to start a new life all together.

I would do this as a read aloud for teens. I found this book to be very realistic. I also found that immigration is something that is a state standard that we talk about throughout middle and high school and it is something you can do a read aloud and pull out connections with students about belonging, moving and starting over.


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