Mazer, Anne, ed. (1993) America Street: A Multicultural Anthology of Stories. New York: Persea Books, Inc., 152 pp.

Grade Range: 6-12

Genre: short stories

Summary and Critique

In this anthology of fourteen short stories, Anne Mazer has compiled an incredible group of stories that speak to people of all backgrounds in America. This book could be a great tool in the classroom read in its entirety or by selecting individual stories. The stories are written by well-known authors such as Duane Big Eagle, Gary Soto, Toni Cade Bambara, Robert Cormier, Langston Hughes, Gish Jen, Naomi Shihab Nye, Fransico Jimenez, and several others. The different authors provide unique snapshots of life that reflect the multicultural lives of many first, second, and third generation Americans. Although each story is unique, each fiber woven together in the stories creates a wonderful patchwork of America. The stories address issues like coming of age in an unfamiliar land, learning about different cultures, crossing boundaries, feelings of shame, doubt, and love, and regret in the trials of teenage life.

In Gary Soto's story"The No-Guitar Blues," the award-winning author speaks poignantly about a young first generation Mexican-American that desperately wants a guitar. After finding a dishonest way to pay for the guitar, the young boy repents upon realizing the error of his ways. In Robert Cormier's story"President Cleveland, Where Are You?," a young boy learns a great lesson about the values of family over material objects when he is confronted with the opportunity to chose between himself and the bonds of brotherhood. In Gish Jen's"The White Umbrella," the young Chinese American girl wrestles with her identity and place as her mother begins working and she is left late at the piano teacher's house. Troubled with guilt over the acceptance of a gift and unkind thoughts she is immediately brought back to life through a small car crash where for an instant she thinks her mother is lost. Naomi Shihab Nye's story"Hamadi" is a heartwarming tale of a girl's special uncle on a caroling expedition.

All stories in the anthology are just applicable for use in the classroom and for personal reading to better understand multicultural literature and the problems that adolescents face.

Editor Information

Anne Mazer is a noted author and anthologist and currently lives in Ithaca, New York. She is author of the highly acclaimed Abby Hayes series, the stories of an eleven-year-old girl and different episodes in her life, as well as Moose Street and The Oxboy.

Themes/Topics

Families

Friends and Enemies

Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

Challenges and Triumphs

Generations

Media Connections

Movies

Selena (1997) Set in south Texas, Selena focuses on the life and eventual murder of Latin music star Selena.

My Family/Mi Familia (1995) – Explores the struggles and triumphs of three generations of a Mexican-American family, beginning with one man's emigration from Mexico to Los Angeles in the 1930s and concluding with his descendants in the 1990s.

The Sandlot (1993) When his stepfather is too busy to teach Scotty to play baseball, the neighborhood boys help out.

The Breakfast Club (1985) Five very different Teens learn about relationships, friendship, love, and cliques while serving detention together.

Shrek (2001) This movie deals with issues like discrimination, searching for self, moral tests, and several other important teenage issues.

Television

George Lopez (ABC) This sit com addresses teenage issues and family life in the Mexican American culture.

8 Simple Rules (ABC) This show addresses many teenage issues as well as issues with parents.

Music

"I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." Performed by Britney Spears. From Britney. Jive Records, 2001. This song discusses issues that young girls face growing up in America.

"Every Rose Has It's Thorn." Performed by Poison. From Open Up and Say...Ahh! Capitol, 1988. This song is a good example for students of how even a person who is rich or powerful has problems. It is an easy way to relate to adolescents who struggle with many issues daily.

Online Resources

http://www.garysoto.com/"The Gary Soto Website" – This site give useful information about Gary Soto and his stories.

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/cormier.html This site provides useful resources for teachers with a bibliography about Robert Cormier and several teaching ideas for his novels.

http://www.chipublib.org/001hwlc/litlists/asian_american.html This site provides a detailed array of sources for Asian American literature.

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~amerstu/mw/ This page has a plethora of information regarding history, literature, other links and many different resources on not only Asian Americans, but also Mexican Americans, Native Americans, women and any others that played a role in the taming of the American West.

http://www.arches.uga.edu/~godlas/home.html This Web site created by a professor at the University of Georgia is a great resource for studying Islamic culture. It includes a letter from Naomi Shihab Nye as well as many relevant articles relating to Islamic culture.

Related Texts

Gillan, Maria M. and Jennifer Gillan, eds. (1994). Growing Up Ethnic in America: Contemporary Prose About Learning to be American. New York: Penguin/Putnam. 374pp. A variety of short stories about children from various cultures growing up in America.

Frosch, Mary, ed. (1994). Coming of Age in America: A Multicultural Anthology. Forward by Gary Soto. New Press, 266 pp. Explores the coming of age experience for a diverse body of teenagers in contemporary America.

Mazer, Anne, ed. (1998). A Walk in My World: International Short Stories about Youth. New York: Persea Books, Inc. 224 pp. Addresses the commonalities of teenagers throughout the world.

Salinger, J.D. (1951). The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co. 277pp. A teenager riddled with angst is expelled from prep school.

Cisneros, Sandra. (1983). House on Mango Street. Houston: Arte Publico Press. 103pp. Esperanza describes her life in a poor Latino neighborhood in Chicago.

Gordon, Ruth. (1995). Pierced by a Ray of Sun: Poems About the Times We Feel Alone. New York: Harper Collins. 105pp. A poetry anthology that addresses themes of alienation and loneliness.

Canfeld, Jack; Kirberger, Kimberly; Hansen, Mark Victor. (2002). Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Love and Friendship. Deerfield Beach, Fla: Health Communications. 300pp. Various stories about love and friendship during the teenage years.

Shihab Nye, Naomi, ed. Michael Nye, Illustrator. (2001). What Have You Lost? Greenwillow Books: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. 224 pp. The losses discussed in this collection of poetry range from trivial to traumatic. Everyone, at any age, has grappled with loss, and these poems will speak to all students. Some of the authors have never been published before and some are well known, but all give moving accounts of the loss in their lives. It would be a great resource to complement many of the stories in America Street.

Thomas, Joyce Carol, ed. (1992). A Gathering of Flowers: Stories about Being Young in America. Econo-Clad Books, 232 pp. This anthology is a collection of eleven stories (all but one written specifically for this book) that reflect the multicultural view of growing up in America. These stories show the consistent themes of loss, compassion, intolerance and hope, and the authors chronicle what it is like to be young in America.

Teaching Ideas

(1)"Adventure Writing" For any or all of the stories, used in conjunction with each other or standing alone, have the students pick their favorite character. Have the students write a story of their particular character on an adventure. One example could be Susan from "The White Umbrella" going with the family to Disney World. How does she feel? What does she do? What is her favorite ride? This writing activity will help the students focus on the characteristics of the person and challenge them to really analyze the character.

[Summarized/adapted from "Maps in the English Classroom" by Linda Siller in Classroom Notes Plus. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. December 1992, p. 1-2.]

(2) "Letter Campaign" When using a group of stories by different authors, have the students rank the authors from best to worst. Depending on the length of time between stories, give them appropriate time to discuss and remember which authors the enjoyed. Once they have ranked the authors, ask them to write a letter to their top and bottom authors describing why they liked or did not like their stories. Guide them away from writing letters that are only a few sentences long, and encourage them to really think about their reasoning. Discuss the trends in the class. This activity will help the students discover their voices as well as allow them to see the merit in literary criticism.

[Summarized/adapted from "Dear Mr. Poe" by Stephen L. Fisher in Classroom Notes Plus. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. December 1991, p. 1-2.]

(3) "Related Songs" After reading one of the stories (or several of them), discuss with the students what kind of themes/moral issues/lessons the author was trying to get across. Compile a list and let the students chose to work in pairs or individually. Ask the students to find a song or poem that represents one of the themes or issues. Depending on the amount, make sure they are not all choosing the same issue to address. Give them a week or so to find the songs and make a visual aid to present to the class that best embodies their message. Have students present their projects and display their stellar work in the class!

[Summarized/adapted from "Finding Lessons in Song" by Cathy McKinney in Classroom Notes Plus. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. October 1991, p. 7.]

(Review written by Lauren Mitchell and edited by Jennifer E. Moore)