Call Me American

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

1. Can you find Somalia on a map? What do you know about the country?

Teaching Suggestion: Even older students may not know where Somalia is; a quick internet search or location activity with a map or globe will help students with a beginning point of reference. You might also use this as an opportunity to discuss how “Africa” is sometimes presented as a monolithic concept, with little attention to the differences between individual countries. Encourage students to think about why this is and what it might indicate about the American perspective on the world beyond its borders.

• Encyclopaedia Britannica provides basic information about Somalia’s history, conflicts, and politics.
• Human Rights Watch compiled information following the collapse of the Somali state that can be useful in considering how relevant Abdi’s narrative still is today.

2. What are the denotation and connotation of refugee? How does one become a refugee?

Teaching Suggestion: Students likely have heard the term refugee before, but they may not know the difference between a refugee, an asylum seeker, and a migrant.