Americanized: Rebel without a Green Card

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 bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. In the author’s note, Saedi writes that she deliberately uses humor to tell her family’s immigration story.

• Do you think Saedi would be more or less inclined to use humor if there wasn’t a happy ending to her story? (topic sentence)
• Drawing on the text including the author’s note, analyze and discuss the primary reasons why Saedi uses humor to tell her family’s story.
• In your conclusion, summarize the extent to which Humor as a Narrative Device is beneficial to Saedi’s memoir.

2. In Americanized, Saedi struggles to navigate American ideals of beauty in conjunction with Iranian ones.

• What effect does having to balance the two standards of beauty have on Saedi? (topic sentence)
• What are some of the primary differences between American and Iranian standards of beauty? Are there any similarities? How does the comparison of the two standards impact Saedi’s perspective? Discuss these points in support of your topic sentence.
• In your conclusion, comment on how The Power of Family Support helps Saedi balance the various pressures placed on her by both American and Persian culture.

3. Saedi’s parents have a general parenting philosophy that runs counter to popular stereotypes of Iranians.

• How would you describe and define Saedi’s parents’ philosophy of parenting, especially against the “usual” Iranian philosophy? (topic sentence)
• How might Saedi’s narrative change if her parents were more stereotypical? Reference at least three events or details from the narrative in your discussion.
• In your conclusion, summarize the impact that Saedi’s portrayal of her parents has on readers, connecting the theme of Political Activism.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. As a teenager, Saedi has many personal insecurities and doubts about her self-worth. Why does she include these narratives in a story largely focused on more important topics, such as immigration? In your response, discuss how Saedi’s use of Humor as a Narrative Device toward her teenage foibles often serves as framing for more weighty subjects like prejudice and immigration matters. How is Saedi’s Political Activism informed by her humorous writing style? Is it an effective one?

2. Americanized occasionally mentions immigration law and policy in the United States. To what extent might this information help undocumented immigrants? Consider other uses for this information, especially in terms of Political Activism and Resisting Oppression. How might this information help those born in America? Provide examples to support your thinking.

3. In the Epilogue, Saedi writes an imaginary conversation between herself and an alternate version of herself who grew up in Iran. In your essay, ruminate on the subjects Saedi covers in this imagined conversation with herself, from Family to beauty ideals to political matters in Iran and America. What is the purpose of this conversation, and what does it add to Saedi’s immigration story? Evaluate the usefulness of the imagined conversation in terms of the narrative’s themes and overall goals, using text details to support your argument.