Call Me American

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. Around what year is Abdi born?

2. From which country did Somalia gain independence in 1960?

3. Where does Abdi see Europeans for the first time?

4. Why do Abdi and his family leave Mogadishu?

5. What animal do Abdi and Hassan see in the river?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What makes Abdi comment that Hassan has always been the braver of the two of them?

2. What sets nomads apart from landed Somalis?

3. How does Somalia win its war against Ethiopia?

4. Why is Abdi’s family waved through the government checkpoints without a second thought?

5. Why do Nur Iftin and Siciid leave their families behind?

Paired Resource

“Timeline: Somalia, 1991-2008”

• This article from the Atlantic lays out the sequence of events in Somalia related to the civil war. (Subscription may be needed to view.)
• How does reading a timeline of events help you better understand the context of Abdi’s experiences?

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. What do Abdi and Hassan sell to buy food?

2. What is Abdi’s nickname?

3. What movie does Abdi watch to celebrate his graduation?

4. What are the two occupations available to boys in Mogadishu?

5. At what events does Abdi perform with his friends for food?

6. In what country does Hassan find refuge?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What service does Falis provide in her home?

2. What does Operation Restore Hope do in Somalia?

3. Why does Nur return to his family?

4. Why are Abdi and Hassan disowned by their parents?

Paired Resource

“Somalia, 1992-1993”

• An article from the Office of the Historian in the US Department of State describes the United States’ role in Operation Restore Hope.
• How does this document present the United States and Operation Restore Hope? How is it similar to or different from how Abdi describes it in his memoir?

Chapters 9-12

Reading Check

1. How does Abdi stay in touch with Hassan?

2. Where does Abdi go to try to leave Somalia?

3. What group is also known as “The Youth”?

4. What is the name of the journalist whom Abdi meets?

5. What is the name of Abdi’s series of weekly recordings that air in the US?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why are people in Mogadishu excited about the solar eclipse?

2. How do the warlords make millions of dollars, and what is the effect of this?

3. What event causes Abdi to think about the line between life and death?

4. How is the Ethiopian army able to defeat the Islamist army?

5. Why does Hassan tell Abdi to continue to speak with journalists?

Paired Resources

“Somali Civil War”

• An entry from the Organization for World Peace detailing the motivations behind the Somali civil war
• Connects to the theme of Cultural Differences
• What role do clan and tribal identities play in the lives of Somalis? How does this relate to the war?

“The War Is Bitter and Nasty”

• An Atlantic article written by Paul Salopek, the journalist Abdi meets, about the war in Somalia and his relationship with Abdi (Subscription may be needed to view.)
• How does Salopek’s narrative about Abdi compare with what you’ve read so far in Abdi’s memoir? What does Salopek’s perspective add to your understanding of Somalia’s civil war?

Chapters 13-Epilogue

Reading Check

1. How is Abdi smuggled into Kenya?

2. Where is Abdi reunited with Hassan?

3. Who tells Abdi that she does not “date men in Africa”?

4. How does Abdi get a green card to live in the United States?

5. What is Abdi’s first meal in the US?

6. What is Abdi’s dream at the end of the book?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is the effect of Kenya declaring war on al-Shabaab?

2. Why is Abdi considered a celebrity when he and Hassan volunteer to help an American charity?

3. What backup plan do Abdi and Hassan make, even though Abdi has an interview with the United States, and why do they make it?

4. What is the difference between Abdi and the Somalis he meets in Portland?

5. Why does the Somali community meet after Donald Trump is elected president?

Recommended Next Reads

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

• A memoir by a boy forced to join the military in Sierra Leone when civil war breaks out
• Shared topics include war and American intervention.
• Shared themes include Loss of Innocence and Cultural Differences.
• A Long Way Gone on SuperSummary

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

• A novel that uses magical realism to tell the story of two refugees as they flee their home country
• Shared topics include the vision of America abroad and the refugee experience.
• Shared themes include Cultural Differences and the role of tradition.
• Exit West on SuperSummary