Mexican WhiteBoy

• Genre: Fiction; YA realistic
• Originally Published: 2008
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 680L; grades 9-12
• Structure/Length: Approx. 249 pages; approx. 7 hours, 20 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Sixteen-year-old Danny’s mother is white; his father is Mexican. Spending the summer with his father’s family in Mexico, he faces questions about personal identity and finding his place.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Profanity; cultural identity issues, self-harm

Matt de la Peña, Author

• Bio: Earned MFA in Creative Writing at San Diego University; writes YA novels, picture books, short fiction, and essays; earned the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Intellectual Freedom Award (2016); awarded the Newbery Medal (2016) for his picture book, Last Stop on Market Street
• Other Works: We Were Here (2009); The Living (2013); Superman: Dawnbreaker (2019)
• Awards: Notable Books for a Global Society Selection (2009); ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2009); Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch and Read (2009)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Violence and Its Consequences
• False Hope versus Real Hope
• Physical Manifestations of Emotional Pain
• The Limiting Nature of Homogeneous Groups

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the cultural contexts in which multiracial identity is shaped, which drives Danny’s struggle to acclimate to life in National City.