Solito by Javier Zamora

 

Solito by Javier Zamora


Reviewed by Henry Rodriguez, Bliss Aguilar, Mayra Ortiz, Shawn Ortez

Review: 

Javier Zamora’s autobiographical Solito is an exhausting and harrowing adventure story

told from the perspective of a nine-year-old Salvadoran immigrant kid named Javier (Author).

Zamora crafts a densely packed narrative focusing on the mundane aspects of a journey fraught

with peril, desperation, betrayals, and physical and mental exhaustion, illustrating how the life of

a migrant is not for the faint of heart. For Zamora, the challenges and rewards are in the minutiae

of human interactions with multiple environments. All these elements played out in a realm

plagued by constant uncertainty made more intense, told from the perspective of Zamora’s nine-

year-old self. The story begins in La Herradura El Salvador where Javier’s parents have already

immigrated to the United States, and he is (semi-patiently) waiting for his chance to join them.

Javier lives with his Abuelo, Abuelita, and Tia Mali (his mom’s younger sister) whom he loves

very much, but longs to be with his mom and dad who he has been separated from for several

years. Abuelo has a friend named Don Dago who happens to be the local coyote who arranges

Javier’s departure (when the time is right) which as it turns out is a complex network of

individuals (Coyotes and Polleros) at various stages of the line. The journey will traverse four

countries: El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States with each stop along the way

providing its own set of challenges. The journey will culminate in an epic exhaustive multiple

effort to border cross that takes place in the harsh desert environments of Northern Mexico andthe southwest regions of Arizona. This brutal final leg of the journey will test the resolve of

every individual who braves it because extreme hardships are unavoidable and non-negotiable.

During this desert trial, Javier uniquely observes the line of migrants in this way, “We’re in a

double line, a fat centipede, a snake” (215). From a child’s perspective, Zamora is creating an

imaginary narrative that possibly serves as a buffer from the harsh reality of the journey. In

addition, Zamora recalls and implements a child’s perspective that creates an interesting layer or

juxtaposition of reality that emphasizes nature, both environmental and extraterrestrial, such as,

“I dust myself off. Look at the pinholes in the sky’s dark blanket. Stars twinkling. Why do they

blink like that? Can they see the dirt under our feet?” (220). This passage suggests that the

vastness of the cosmos simultaneously makes one feel part of a bigger universe with the vastness

creating feelings of invisibility, helplessness and isolation. For the reader, this dynamic is felt

even more keenly from a child’s perspective.


Biography: 


Javier Zamora is a Salvadoran American poet and writer whose work focuses on immigration, childhood trauma, and the challenges of leaving one’s home country. Zamora was born in 1990 in La Herradura, a small town in El Salvador, during a time in history where his country was going through political conflict. Because of the civil war and his family circumstances, both of his parents left for the United States when he was quite young. He continued to live in El Salvador with his grandparents until he was nine years old, when he made an extensive and dangerous trip through several countries to reunite with his family. This experience shaped much of his writing later in life and became the basis for his memoir Solito.

After arriving in the U.S., Zamora grew up in California and eventually attended the University of California, Berkeley. He went on to study poetry rather deeply and would end up earning several honors, which include a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, a 2016 Barnes and Noble Writer for Writer’s Award, a prestigious Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University, and much more. His first poetry collection, Unaccompanied, explores the emotional results of migration and the difficulties faced by undocumented people living in the United States.

Zamora has also been involved in activism as he helped co-found the Undocupoets campaign, which pushed for literary prizes to remove rules that required U.S. citizenship. This change opened opportunities for many poets who were undocumented or immigrants, to be recognized for their amazing work prior to the Undocupoets campaign. Alongside his activism, Zamora continues to teach and share his story. He has worked as a visiting professor and has spoken at many colleges about immigration, personal storytelling, and the importance of remembering one’s past.

Today, Zamora is recognized as an important voice in contemporary literature. Through his poetry and memoir Solito, he provides his personal experiences and highlights the hardships of migration he faced as a child. His writing in Solito does a great job at providing a very realistic portrayal of the migration journey for so many people, which draws out tons of emotion for the reader. His writing being so deeply connected to his personal life makes it all the more meaningful and impactful for young readers. 

California Common Core Standards:


  • L.9–10.1a. Use parallel structure.

  • L.3.3a. Choose words and phrases for effect.

  • L.7.3a. Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely.

  • L.6.3a. Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.

  • L.6.3b. Maintain consistency in style and tone.

  • L.6.1c. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.

  • L.6.1d. Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).

  • L.4.1f. Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.

Resources and Preparation:

Teacher Preparation: 

  • Revisit key scenes/moments from the novel Solito that encapsulate Javier’s coming-of-age journey. 

  • Generate a list of sample objects (i.e., shoes, flashlight, backpack) and pull quotes from the text for students to reference.

  • Prepare a model/example artifact with an attached explanation to showcase expectations. 

  • Prepare prompts/talking points (immigration, separation, family, resilience, adversity, trauma) for in class group discussions - plan for sensitive topics to be discussed 

  • Create a handout and rubric addressing expectations and instructions 

  • Arrange classroom (desks, tables, chairs) for gallery walk

Materials/Resources: 

  • Copies of novel/excepts from passages

  • Paper

  • Crayons/markers/colored pencils/colored pens

  • Scissors

  • Glue

  • Index cards/lined paper (for quotes)

Instructional Plan:

Lesson Title: “Artifacts of Becoming: Hands-on Personal and Literary Exhibit”

High school English class lesson

Estimated Time Frame: Two (2) class periods 

DAY 1:

  • Briefly introduce the topic/conversation to students by asking a “hook” question: “How can everyday objects shape who we are?” “How can objects tell the story of who we are becoming?”

  • Review Javier's journey (both physical migration and internal development) 

  • Model object: give an example of how an object from the text 

  • Students identify three (3) significant moments from the text that mark a shift in Javier’s growth

  • For each moment students should also select an artifact to draw connections 

  • Students will independently draw out each of the three (3) artifacts they selected

  • Write a short summary explaining how each artifact is representative of Javier’s growth

Homework: Students will be asked to bring or draw three (3) artifacts of their own that represent their own coming-of-age (Prep for next day’s class)

DAY 2: 

  • Students bring/draw three (3) personal items representing stages in their own coming-of-age

  • Students write brief explanations and captions about each item and how they are representative of their journey

  • Students set-up their items alongside their corresponding captions (Students should be asked to photograph their set-up and submit to Google Classroom/Canvas/virtual classroom)

  • Students circulate, visit different exhibits, and leave written comments (encourage constructive and respectful discussions) 

  • Teacher should also circulate, observe discussion, ask questions if needed, and take note of those who are participating for points

  • Class discussion: “How do Javier’s experiences connect to our experiences?” Come back to the questions: “How can everyday objects shape who we are?” “How can objects tell the story of who we are becoming?”

Teacher Preparation: 

  • Revisit key scenes/moments from the novel Solito that encapsulate Javier’s coming-of-age journey. 

  • Generate a list of sample objects (i.e., shoes, flashlight, backpack) and pull quotes from the text for students to reference.

  • Prepare a model/example artifact with an attached explanation to showcase expectations. 

  • Prepare prompts/talking points (immigration, separation, family, resilience, adversity, trauma) for in class group discussions - plan for sensitive topics to be discussed 

  • Create a handout and rubric addressing expectations and instructions 

  • Arrange classroom (desks, tables, chairs) for gallery walk

Materials/Resources: 

  • Copies of novel/excepts from passages

  • Paper

  • Crayons/markers/colored pencils/colored pens

  • Scissors

  • Glue

  • Index cards/lined paper (for quotes)

Popular Posts