The Distance Between Us

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

Reflect on “the American Dream.” How might one define the American Dream? Is it the ultimate way to pursue a meaningful life? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: Students might first complete a timed brainstorming activity in which they jot down phrases, words, and images that come to mind on hearing “the American Dream.” Afterward, it might be beneficial to prompt some reflection on whether their brainstormed words and images reflect a variety of groups, time periods in history, and geographic locations.

• This article partly offers information on the phrase’s original meaning.

Short Activity

What was the US Immigration Policy to Mexico in the 1970s and 1980s? When and why has it changed over the years? Conduct an initial investigation into these questions using scholarly resources to understand the situations in the text.

Teaching Suggestion: Consider allowing students to use various resources to answer this question. They might work in pairs or small groups in a jigsaw activity, in which each grouping might discuss a different decade of US immigration policy regarding Mexico. Encourage students to seek sources that are both historical and social in origin; in other words, they might use not only official records but also oral histories of how those policies impacted the people they targeted.

• “Revisionist History, “General Chapman’s Last Stand” recounts the “simpler times” of US-Mexican migration policies and the well-intentioned solutions that created today’s climate.
• “How Mexican Immigration to the US Has Evolved” from Time magazine presents a qualitative summary history of US-Mexico immigration. (Subscription may be needed for viewing)
• “1810-2022 U.S.-Mexico Relations”  from the Council on Foreign Relations presents a comprehensive timeline of the changes in policy and the events that drove those changes.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Would you be willing to make tremendous sacrifices to pursue the American Dream? Have you done so already? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: Teachers might turn this exercise into an opportunity for students to practice argumentative writing by requiring students to support their opinions with well-researched facts and supporting reasons.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who might find this topic potentially upsetting for discussion or who might benefit from a more creative outlet, students might consider expressing their reflections via visual art, poetry, song, or dance.