San Jose City College
        Broken Heart

1. On page 103, what details demonstrate that Francisco was very intuitive in dealing with his peers? How did he make lunch time more comfortable for himself?

2. List the two racial slurs that his classmates used. Have you ever heard anyone use a racial slur  an offensive remark   for members of your ethnic group? If yes, describe the experience and how it made you feel.

3. Why did Roberto get mad at Francisco at the dance? List the words that show his annoyance.

4. Why did Francisco feel left out of Roberto's life?

5. What happened with Roberto and Susan's friendship? What made the experience especially hurtful and unbelievable to Roberto? (p. 107)

6. What insight did Francisco have when Roberto told him his story? Write the simile that implies that Francisco had a quick "insight."

7. What were Francisco's feelings when he had this insight? Explain how Francisco's and Roberto's experiences with their first girlfriends ran counter to  went against   what their parents had taught them.

8. How was Susan's reaction to her parents' demands different from Peggy's? What eventually happened? How do you think most high school girls in the same situation would react today?

Reflective Journal Assignment: Both Francisco and Roberto experienced hurtful conflicts in their first encounters with girls they liked. Write your own feelings and thoughts about Roberto's experience and its underlying cause or causes. Would parents in your own ethnic group react the same way Susan's parents did under similar circumstances? Explain why or why not.

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