Mr. Lane’s Effective Reading Blog

The story of 8th grader Lincoln Mendoza...

As we have been reading Gary Soto’s “Taking Sides” I have been struck by some of the subtle (not obvious) issues that are addressed.  In the last chapter we read (Chapter 6) the issue of change is taken on multiple times between Lincoln and Tony, Lincoln & his memory of Vicky, and through the observations of Lincoln as he watches the old man who runs the thrift store.

The one that hit home (meant something to me) was the argument that Lincoln and Tony had over whether things or people change.  Their conversation went like this:

“Aw, man, where’s he [the old man who runs the thrift store]  gonna find a TV? Did he walk down the street, spot one in an alley, and say, ‘Hey look, I found a free TV’? Wake up, Linc.  This guy’s a crook. You been livin’ with the white folks too long.”

Lincoln stopped and snapped, “¡Chale!  Don’t tell me that!  You know where I come from.  I come from here.”  He pointed to the street, and the street looked grim with busted glass and a smashed battery in the gutter, junky cars, a drunk sipping from a bottle in a paper bag, scruffy dogs, and metal-flake Chevy’s purring at the red light.

“I don’t mean it like that,” Tony replied, his voice going soft. “You know, people change.”

Lincoln stared at his friend angrily. “Not me…  Things change, but people stay the same.”

This exchange of words reminded me of an argument/fight that my best friend and I had after my family moved a few blocks (from a blue collar neighborhood to one that was a white-collar neighborhood – very similiar to the one Linc made) when I was fifteen.   The move made a difference in our relationship and my “best” friend of 12 years, more or less, disappeared from my life.

So my question to you is this: Do things change or is it the people that change?  Explain your answer with details – if needed,  use your own personal experiences to help explain yourself.

32 Comments »
Filed under: Audio Read, Taking Sides tagged Audio Read, Fiction, Gary Soto, Hispanic, Life, Race, Sports

As we discussed in class Thursday, in the late 1800s people from across Europe began immigrating to the United States in large numbers.  The turn of the 20th century (the start of the 1900s) saw the United States emerge as the “land of opportunity.”  Every immigrant had to come through New York’s Ellis Island and many decided to start their new life right in New York City.

The play we read, The Garden at 97 Orchard Street , celebrates the experience of Greek immigrants, the Confinos.  In it, Victoria Confino learns the true meaning of friendship and family, as well as the importance of making a home in a new land.  The building of the play’s title, once crowded and unsanitary (extremely dirty and unfit to be lived in), still exists as the Tenement Museum in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.  You can learn more about the Confinos, Rosenthals, and many other families who immigrated to the United States by visiting the museum and taking a virtural tour (select the PLAY tab at the top of the web page).  You can also play an immigrant game, make a flag, mix a folksong, and view webcomics.   

I invite you to use the following links that provide some visual of the time and place in which this play takes place:

Ellis Island -

• Ellis Island National Monument
• The Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.  

97 Orchard Street -

• Tenement Museum

Then, when your done, let me know what you thought of the play as well as the website links by submitting a comment below.  For those students who submit thoughtful and reflective comments bonus assignment credit will be given.   Should there be any questions or concerns, please ask.

34 Comments »
Filed under: READ tagged 97 orchard street, ellis island, historical, history, immigrants, plays, READ, tenement houses