by Shauna Singh Baldwin
We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.
Hello, My Name Is ______
- Jason Kim
In the personal account “Hello, My Name Is _______,” Jason Kim discusses accepting his Korean American identity and his experiences assimilating into American culture.Pair “Hello, My Name Is _____” with “Montreal 1962” to provide students with a memoir about a boy’s experiences coming from Korea to America. Ask students to discuss how both texts show how immigrating to a new country can challenge your identity. How did Kim change himself in an attempt to assimilate into America? How is the narrator’s husband in “Montreal 1962” encouraged to change himself in Canada?
Puerto Rican Obituary
- Pedro Pietri
In Pedro Pietri’s epic poem “Puerto Rican Obituary,” Pietri describes the experiences of five Puerto Ricans in America.Pair “Puerto Rican Obituary” with “Montreal 1962” to provide students with a poem about the struggles of succeeding in America. Ask students to discuss what the characters in the poem expected of America. How does this compare to what the narrator and her husband expected of Canada in “Montreal 1962”? How do the characters in both texts encounter obstacles as they struggle to succeed?