Arin Shahjahanian College 1

Spare Parts - Reading Response Journal

Reading Response Journals (RRJs) are an informal space for you to explore the readings as well as your own reading
process. The first step to writing an RRJ is to read carefully, taking notes on the text as you go. RRJs should include the
following:
1.

A brief summary of the chapters (5-8 sentences) including major events, characters, and important information
about setting (place and time).

The chapters in the reading largely provided background information on some of the characters as well as on
what appears will be the main setting of the novel, the city of Phoenix, Arizona. The first chapter of the reading
delves into Lorenzos past, from the accident in his infancy that brought him to the United States to his time as a
middle and high school student. We learn that he overcame a lot of social struggles and had to constantly deal
with being teased and made fun of because of his ethnicity, his looks, and his accent. Even though he tried hard
to ignore his bullies, he could never quite shut them out completely and would often become outwardly angry.
We do see, though, at the end, he finally finds something interesting and compelling when he watches his uncle
repair a car engine. He is fascinated with the ingenuity involved and we are led to believe this is where his
interest in building starts. We also read about how Phoenix came about as a city and how economic conditions
split the city into two parts, east and west. The eastern section, where the high school of the novel is located, is
the less developed and poorer of the two parts. The final part of the reading deals with Cristian and his
upbringing. He too is an illegal alien, having fled Mexico with his family who was seeking better economic
conditions. He is a bit of a nerd from the get-go and not too interested with sports or being outdoors. He learns a
lot from television and has a desire to build robots. He is very intelligent and does well in school.

2.

Your response to the reading (5-8 sentences) including your opinions about and reaction to the assigned
chapters. This section is a place to think deeply about the book and the emotions and complex ideas it brings up for
you.

One thing that was common between the two characters descriptions and their upbringings is all the struggle
that existed in acclimating to such a new environment. Leaving one country in hopes of a better life in a
completely different country is a leap of faith that is not often took without a lot of care and even fear, yet these
families took the bold step to better their futures. It really reminds of when my parents, when they didnt know
each other, had to flea their country of Iran because of the revolution and start over in this new nation. They
faced some similar challenges of having to learn about a new culture and the norms of its people. Its certainly
understandable the anger that Lorenzo went through when his classmates would marginalize him but its
empowering to see that he is going to pull himself up and work hard at something he loves in order to achieve
goals. The same goes with Cristian. Thats really the challenge of all immigrants and the chapters in this reading
set the stage and outline the characters motivations for why they would want to do what they eventually

succeed at doing.

3.

2 discussion questions. These should be openended questions that could lead to an interesting conversation, not
factbased yes or no questions.

1. Was the marginalization and ridicule faced by Lorenzo a hindrance or a form of empowerment?
2. Do all illegal immigrants face the same challenges, or are location and education mitigating
circumstances?

4.

An explanation of your reading process. How did this weeks reading go for you? Discuss specific sections that
made you confused or questions that you have about the text. Point out strategies that helped you overcome
challenges in your reading. Choose one or two of the following prompts to develop your ideas:
While I was reading,
I felt confused when so I
I was distracted by but then I
I started to think aboutbecause
The time went quickly because
I figured outby
I finally understood
I remembered that earlier in the book
I was reminded of

When I was reading, I really enjoyed and appreciated the section on the history of the city of Phoenix. It was
informative to step away from the individual characters and to take a look at how a whole community is
affected by certain economic developments, sometimes against their will. The bigger picture in that sense
helps clear up a lot about the kids environment and makes it easier to see just how extensive the depth of their
challenges really was.

5. 3-5 significant words from this particular readingwords that you feel are important to understand the text, or
that you have decided to learn to develop your academic vocabulary. Define the words you choose and explain
why you chose them.

Type the words that you found significant here with your explanations

Adapt (14): I feel this word is important because it is a simple way of describing what all immigrants, illegal or
not, have to do in order to thrive in their new home. It is the struggle that both Lorenzo and Cristian faced early.
Humiliation (12): This word is one that represents a lot of what Lorenzo and Cristian has to experience as
immigrants in American schools.
Cultural identity (24): The struggle with cultural identity is something even I myself feel as the son of
immigrants. How much do you keep and how much do you lose? Its a complicated give and take.

You will receive complete credit on every RRJ (20 points) by thoughtfully completing the steps as described above, looking
at the rubric to check completeness, and by turning your RRJ in on time. The RRJs are a space for you to think through
the readings without having to worry too much about grammar, organization, and the other requirements of more formal
writing assignments. However, do follow basic rules such as capitalizing I and using appropriate language.