Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. America Ferrera takes issue with the concept of what it means to have an “American” identity.

• How does Ferrera redefine the term “American” throughout the book? (topic sentence)
• Why was Ferrera confused about the term as a child? Offer and discuss at least three examples.
• In your conclusion, describe what the term means to Ferrera now; also explain how it has influenced her drive to debunk the idea that America is a Melting Pot. 

2. Many of the essays in American Like Me grapple with what it means to identify as both an American and an immigrant.

• Select two essays and compare the authors’ different approaches. (topic sentence)
• Does each author use humor to make their point, or does the author use a more serious tone? What other literary techniques are evident in conveying tone?
• In your conclusion, explain how, regardless of tone, the essays share certain common core themes—for example, the Stigmatization of immigrant communities.