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Title: Rain of Gold
Author:
Jose Villasenor
Age level: High School
Recommended by: Suzi Donnelly, Montebello High School, California Summary: In this novel, the author chronicles the early lives of his parents, their
courtship and finally marriage. More though than just a personal history, Villasenor gives a vivid picture of the struggles of the Mexican Revolution and its effects on families. The novel shows how this bit of history
prompted a great migration of peoples from Mexico to the United States. It also tells of the hardships the Mexican immigrants faced in America after arriving. Villasenor proudly shows the strength and tenacity of his
family to overcome these difficulties and earn some measure of success in their new land. The novel particularly captures the interest of Hispanic students who and for them validates the struggles that their own
families have met. More importantly, it speaks universally to students of the immigrant experience that all of our families went through at one time or another. Teaching suggestions:
This is a wonderful novel to introduce a living history project. Students interview family members and try to discover why their own relatives left their homelands and came here. This is also a good project to do in conjunction with a history or geography class.
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