Buried Onions

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. Consider what you know about Mexican American communities in the US. In which states do many of these communities reside? What are some of the challenges that Mexican American communities commonly experienced in the late 20th century?

Teaching Suggestion: This question situates students with the setting of the novel. Eddie is Mexican, and most of his surrounding community in Fresno includes a significant Hispanic demographic. Furthermore, most of Eddie’s observations or concerns regard race, and the majority of his interactions are with Hispanic people living in Fresno. The resources below provide some information on the Latino experience in California, as well as challenges that Latino/Hispanic communities often face in the US.

• The University of California Los Angeles’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute shares “15 Facts About Latino Well-Being in California.”
• The Public Policy Institute in California provides a brief overview of Hispanic demographics (2022) in California; students might theorize about the state’s Hispanic population in the years since the setting of the novel.

2. How does poverty shape communities? For example, how does growing up in an impoverished area transform a person’s thinking about her/his future goals and abilities in life?

Teaching Suggestion: This question invites students to consider the effect of poverty on marginalized communities in the U.S. from a sociological perspective. Many of the characters in the novel are stuck in a cycle of poverty, which ultimately relates to the themes of Determinism and Choice. In this vein, impoverished communities, such as Eddie’s in Fresno, may feel as if they lack choice in their goals, as their future seems predetermined. The following resources address both the broader themes of poverty in society, as well as poverty in Fresno, California.

• This article from University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation discusses the link between poverty and society, asserting poverty is less of a choice and more of result of societal failures.
• This brief 2019 report from Fox26news.com shares information about the poverty line in Fresno, California.

Short Activity

Gary Soto has penned a variety of novels, poems, and short stories throughout his career, many of which are at least partly autobiographical. Working in small groups, select one of Soto’s works and share it with the class. What is the theme of this work? How does your selection fit into the larger pantheon of Soto’s works?

Teaching Suggestion: This activity situates students in understanding the variety of Soto’s works. The links below can be used for a discussion on Soto’s themes and serves as an entry point for students’ group work. In addition to this novel’s themes of Determinism, Choice, and Resilience, Soto’s works often center on marginalized communities and poverty.

• This review from Poetryfoundation.org analyzes the prose and style of Soto’s works.

Differentiation Suggestion: For more advanced classes, this activity can be redirected to consider an author other than Soto who works with marginalized and/or impoverished communities. This could be an opportunity for students to share one of their favorite authors, or to research an author who has written on this subject. Students can then share their findings with the class.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Do you believe in fate, or do you believe that everyone has a choice in their future? Explain your reasoning.

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt relates to the novel’s themes of Determinism and Choice. Eddie’s narrative teeters between the deterministic lifestyle, which he believes many of his Hispanic counterparts are bound to, and the agency to depart from such a life of violence and poverty and shape his own future. This prompt directly segues to the Discussion/Analysis Prompt.