Isabel Escobedo

Karen Munoz

STUDY GUIDE FOR : The Distance Between Us By Reyna Grande
Part 1: SUMMARY
Reyna Grandes memoir is an inspiring story about an innocent bystander in the
lives of responsible parents. Having to deal with issues in mexico like poverty and
abandonment to going to the U.S to deal with issues of immigration and ESL. As a child
Reyna experienced Poverty on a daily basis. While living in Mexico without her parents
her siblings they were living under the roof of her grandmother Evlia. Although she was
receiving money from their parents she would not give them a dime. The living
conditions were terrible, they were called little orphans all the time all around the
neighborhood because of their living conditions weren't the best. Later their mom came
back and took them to live with there other grandmother Chinta. They loved it there, the
living conditions were bad but they were happier there. After a couple of months they
were fending for themselves again even though their grandmother would try to give
them everything she could it wasn't enough. The poverty in Mexico while Reyna lived
there was unbelievable. Mexico was losing people and jobs everyday. Throughout the
book abandonment is a constant theme, but not only that it is also a discourse
community. Reyna was just a little kid when her father left to the other side. She missed
him but wasnt feel as abandoned as when he called for their mother. Then with both
parents gone and no hopes from there surroundings of them coming back all of the
children felt abandoned. In the small town in mexico to belong to a discourse community
of abandonment one would have to admit it. Since not a lot of people would openly
admit it. Reyna and her siblings belonged to a discourse community among themselves.
They belong to this discourse community throughout the whole memoir. Immigration is a
prominent topic in the book. Reyna experiences immigration at a young age when her
mother and father are forced to leave Mexico. Reynas father immigrated to the United
states first and then sent out for their mother. The United States is known as El Otro
Lado and is filled with dreams and opportunities. Reynas parents immigrated to the U.S
in hopes of finding a stable job to build their dream home in Mexico and return for their
three children. Little did they know it would be easier said than done and it would later
tear their family apart. Growing up Reyna and her siblings were forced to grow up
without their mother and father. Many years later Reyna and her siblings crossed the
border for the first time with their father. Due to their parents separation Reynas father
decided it would be best for him to take responsibility and take care of his kids. Reyna
describes her journey as a very difficult one. It took the family three attempts to get
across to the U.S successfully. The Discourse Community of an illegal immigrant is one
of fear although they had made it across they still had to worry about getting caught.
Immigrants usually live in fear of getting caught and getting deported. Belonging to the
discourse community of ESL (English as a Second Language) means being around kids
that need to learn to write and talk in english. This is a fairly established community
among immigrants. ESL is a supportive system to the ultimate goal which is to become
apart of the english speaking discourse community. For some people it takes a very
long time to become apart of this discourse community. Reyna came into the U.S
without speaking a word of english. Going into school she was classified as a ESL
student. She could write and speak english proficiently by the time she was in the eighth
grade.

Part 2: OUTLINE
I. Poverty
1. Reyna and her siblings suffer from poverty while her parents are away
in El Otro Lado. Their Parents left to try and earn money to make a better
living for themselves and be able to build the house of their dreams.
a. The bakers wife looked at us and said to her husband, Miralas,
pobrecitas huerfanitas. We arent orphans! I yelled at her, forgetting all
about the sweet bread (Pg 17).
b. Instead, I had to stand before the father I hadnt seen in almost eight
years, looking like a beggar. I touched my hair, and I knew it was matted
and oily. When was the last time I bathed? I wondered if he could see the
lice that at that very moment were running around on my scalp. I had an
overwhelming urge to scratch, and I bit my lips and tried not to move(Pg
143).
II. Abandonment
1. Reynas mother and father had to live their children behind in Mexico.
Although the kids lived with their grandma they only had each other to rely on.
Evila their grandmother never took them into consideration and always treated
them bad. Even when Reyna and her siblings grew up the distance between their
parents became worse they never reconciled .
a. Didnt you hear me? Your mother is not in Mexico. Id thought he was
joking.Then realized that he wasnt. . . . Shes been in this country for
months now, and she hasnt even tried to contact you kids, Papi said(Pg
220).
b. She embraced her new life in this country with Rey and her new baby
boy and Betty. The distance between us wasnt two thousand miles
anymore. But there was still a gap. I Hoped one day we could overcome
it(Pg 226).


III. Immigration
1. Many people would immigrate to the United States to live out what they
called the American Dream. For some people it worked out and for others not so
much. Reynas family went through many obstacles in order to achieve that
dream.
a. Like most immigrants,my father had left his native country with high
expectations of what life in El Otro Lado would be like. Once reality set in,
and he realized that dollars werent as easy to make as the stories people
told made it seem, he had been faced with two choices: return to Mexico
empty-handed and with his head held low, or send for my mother(Pg 7).
b. Papi said that even though we had succeeded in crossing, the danger
was not over yet.We could easily get pulled over by la migra on our way to
Los Angeles(Pg 157).
IV. ESL
1. Reyna was not a perfect English speaker when she first came to the U.S.
Like many kids she struggles to learn the language and was often discouraged.
She never gave up though, she started to speak English better and was able to
get out of the ESL program.
a.My book had been rejected. But she couldnt have read it. No one reads
a book in a second! She doesnt even speak spanish well, so how can she
read it so fast? I wanted to stand up and say something. I wanted to tell
her she had made a mistake, and she should look at it again. But I didnt
have the English words to say what I thought, and so I said nothing at
all(Pg 217).
b. I Had successfully completed the ESL program and had gotten rid of
my status as an ESL student (Pg 240).


Part 3: Key Terminology
1. Immigration-: to enter and usually become established; especially : to come into a
country of which one is not a native for permanent residence.
2. Poverty-he state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or
material
3. Huerfanas- (Spanish for orphans) a child deprived by death of one or usually both
parents.
4. Green Card-: an identity card attesting the permanent resident status of an alien in
the United States.
5. ESL-English as a second language.
6. Abonnement-: to leave and never return to (someone who needs protection or help)
7. El Otro Lado- This is referring to the other side, In Reyna Grandes book she is talking
the United States.


Part 4: Discussion Questions

1) Why do you believe Reynas parents marriage didnt work out once they went to live
in El Otro Lado? What events do you think lead up to their separation.

2) Do you think it was right for Reynas granda Evilia to take the childrens money away
and not buy them anything even when they needed clothes, Why do you think she didnt
treat them as her own if the kids never did anything to her?

3) Do you think Reynas father was right for sending for their mother when the children
were so young and needed the most attention? Do you think it was a smart decision?

4) How do you think Reynas view of her mother change over time, Do you think they
got closer or grew apart as time passed? What are your thoughts on the situation.

5) Why do you think Reyna tried so hard to get her fathers approval of her lifestyle even
though he shot her down many times?

Part 5: Analysis
Analysis and Reflections on the meaning, usefulness, synthesis with other texts, etc.

Reyna Grandes memoir is an inspiration to many immigrants who are trying to
achieve the American dream. Her life story is truly admiring because not many people
can live to tell all her great accomplishments. Most people dont have the courage to tell
their story like Reyna told hers. Reynas story didn't just touch the souls of immigrants
but also the souls of under privileged kids all over the world. The sense of knowing
someone else went through the same problems as you is comforting because they're
good will and ambition motivates you to be a better person and overcome all the
problems. In the past I have read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls which is also a
memoir and although they are very different they have both been through some terrible
things. Both a these authors are great people regardless of who they're parents are.