What does the word “trip” mean to you? How does the word take form in the young Javier Zamora’s imagination in the opening of Chapter 1 and subsequent chapters?
Names reveal who we are to those who know and love us. Which nicknames does Javier have throughout his journey?
Leaving home can create moments of agony and despair. What does “La USA” mean to Javier? How does he imagine his parents live and how he will live after joining them?
The nine-year-old Javier is telling the story. What makes this memoir different from others you’ve read, especially when it comes to the narrative voice, which offers a blend of curiosity, observation, and omniscience?
The Spanish language is prominent in the memoir, including the use of the upside-down question mark. When and how does Spanish—or forms of translanguaging between Spanish and English—appear in the text? How about the upside-down question marks? Which liberties does the author take to tell his story and show bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate communication, knowledge, and understanding? How is your understanding of the memoir influenced as you read two languages?
The reader learns about the role of coyotes and polleros. How are their names revelatory about their respective roles in Javier’s journey? Does your perception of the coyote or pollero change over the course of the memoir? If so, how? How is the kindness of strangers viewed or interpreted by Javier and the migrants as they travel through Guatemala and México and later in “La USA”?
Javier’s grandparents are prominent in both his upbringing and his preparation for his journey to the United States. What is his relationship with his grandparents? How is it sustaining for him, since his parents have already immigrated to the United States? Which trusting adults do you have in your life that guide and support you?
Chino, Patricia, and Carla help Javier in his journey to the United States and also protect him from danger and harm. Describe their camaraderie, pretending, and planning throughout the memoir and how their relationships develop and expand. Recall that Zamora adapts to having a mother figure with the same name as his actual mother, Patricia. How did Javier gain more resilience as a traveler and son?
Every segment of the journey is challenging, dangerous, and unpredictable. How is Javier’s experience of the trip impacted as he travels by boat, bus, van, and on foot?
Javier describes various landscapes, moon cycles, plants, scenes, sunrises and sunsets, terrains, and weather patterns he observes and experiences firsthand. In particular, he meets animals and insects, such as ants, deer, grasshoppers, and bees, that are as much a part of his adventure as the natural elements of the worlds he encounters along the way. How are the animals, insects, and elements interacting with human migrants in the search for safety, shelter, and a new life?
Javier becomes an interpreter and translator of the immigrants hoping to reach “La USA.” As a young child, he is schooled by his grandparents, parents, and strangers to study maps, language, political facts, and historical events to be able to either acculturate or assimilate in three countries: Guatemala, México, and the United States. How does Javier negotiate his formal Catholic schooling with the education he receives from his family to prepare for the “trip” northward?
How does the prose that Zamora creates blend poetic sensibilities like catalogues, imagery, and synesthesia?
What are some shocks or surprises in the memoir that changed how you view a particular character or larger concepts such as immigration or humane treatment?
Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs places a strong emphasis on possession of feelings of love and a sense of belonging. How does Javier relate to the need for love and belonging before, during, and after his “trip”?
Consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in relation to the following topics from Javier’s memoir: having clothing to change into, staying clean and presentable, and seeking privacy while using the restroom. How are each of these significant for one’s sense of dignity?
Javier’s self-talk includes Spanish language interrogation marks: “¿” and “?”. What is revealed to the reader in each of his instances of self-talk and reflection? Note the craft of self-questioning that he possesses and shares with reader.
The migrants on the journey often line up and are described like a centipede. How is this description symbolic of the task at hand?
Forms of human defeat and pain appear in the memoir. How is Javier able to cope and remain resilient in the face of adversity, humiliation, and setbacks?
In some cultures, a symbol of protection or luck is significant for its ability to bring good fortune or news. The memoir opens on a town in El Salvador named San Luis La Herradura. In Spanish, “herradura” means “hoof” or “horseshoe.” What does a hoof, horseshoe, or Cadejo figure symbolize in some cultures? Why is a hoof or horseshoe valued and even displayed prominently in some homes or businesses? What can a hoof or horseshoe represent or symbolize across time and cultures?
The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning outlines 5 principles for inclusive teaching. This list has been adapted for those for creating an inclusive Book Club experience.
1. Foster belonging by having introductions, chosen name/pronouns, and avatars during the first meeting.
2. Set expectations by outlining Book Club including frequency, type of work, and examples.
3. Recognize diversity and acknowledge barriers to inclusion by choosing a variety of authors and providing the content.
4. Design for accessibility by providing the most flexible mode of instruction.
5. Reflect on your own beliefs by asking students for suggestions and implementing them for the next semester.
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