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

Think about the elements of great storytelling. What makes a storyteller effective—the story, the technique, or both? What are some of the purposes of storytelling around the world and/or throughout history?

Teaching Suggestion: Storytelling is one way many societies share their culture and educate new generations. To help students reflect on the significance and theme of Storytelling in the book, draw them into a discussion on the purpose and tradition of storytelling, both historically and currently. Guide the discussion to include a writer’s possible motivations for writing a memoir; is the motivation the same or different for other modes of storytelling (written, oral, stage play, film, etc.)? Also, many universal stories are hero-driven; examining Kingston’s memoir and/or the embedded “talk-stories” through Joseph Campbell’s lens of the monomyth is another way for students to consider Storytelling as a theme. 

• Harvard Business Publishing has a two-part series of articles (Part 1, Part 2) about the effects of storytelling on the brain. Many businesses are leveraging the power of storytelling to impact sales. This strategy diverges from traditional storytelling purposes, but the emerging science behind it also provides more context for the human inclination toward storytelling.
• The Moth features modern oral stories from everyday people. The site has an in-depth library, and the blog features a monthly storytelling activity for people who want to practice and enhance their artful storytelling techniques.
• This Crash Course video unpacks Joseph Campbell’s work on the Hero’s Journey, myth-making, and universal storytelling (the monomyth).

Short Activity

Review this “Timeline of Chinese Immigration to the United States.” Use events from the late 1800s and the first half of the 20th century to formulate basic research questions about both the US and China. Consider the experiences of everyday people as well as the political, social, and economic systems in both countries. Choose one question to research; then share your answers with the class.

Teaching Suggestion: Students might work individually or in groups. Teachers might have students propose their question by tying it to a particular time period or event. After students share what they have learned, the class should have a better sense of the historical context for Kingston’s immigration stories, the connection to the theme of Lineage and Family, and some understanding of Chinese communities on the West Coast of the United States.

• This resource bank from The University of Illinois features primary and secondary sources on Chinese immigration and experiences in the US during the 19th century.
• This Al-Jazeera video takes a close look at reasons why Chinese citizens chose to emigrate and why many of them chose the United States. It examines the different waves of Chinese immigration throughout US history.
• This article from The Los Angeles Times provides a modern first-hand account of a first-generation Chinese family uncovering the secrecy around their family’s immigration story.