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. In what contexts have you heard the word “refugee”? Based on that context, what do you think the difference is between the terms “refugee” and “immigrant”? In what kinds of situations or conflicts might each term be used?

Teaching Suggestion: The question might be adjusted to account for sensitivity measures for individuals in your classroom. Both Hiền and Tiền’s identities as Vietnamese refugees affect their everyday lives. Their respective experiences coming to and living in the United States are part of their characterization, and it’s important for students to understand the difficulties of their journey. From a definitional standpoint, you can plant the seed for this thought in discussing how “refugee” is connected to seeking “refuge” and is a more specific subset of immigrants and migrants even more generally. By framing this introduction through “refuge,” you can also help students think about the dangers associated with making the trip to the United States such that Hiền and Vinh were looking for a safer life in the US. Information from these or similar resources can help students develop additional context on the topic.