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Paired Texts > Excerpt from "Our America"

by José Martí 1891

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

Identity
Identity
Julio Noboa

In Julio Noboa's poem "Identity," a speaker explains why they would choose to be a weed over a flower.

Pair “Identity” with “Excerpt from ‘Our America’” and ask students to discuss how both texts explore the notion of identity. How does Julio Noboa’s discussion of personal identity compare to José Martí’s discussion of national identity? What characteristics do they both value? Who do students think would be the flowers and weeds in José Martí’s text?

7th Grade Poem
The Leaders Who Ruined Africa and the Generation Who Can Fix It
The Leaders Who Ruined Africa and the Generation Who Can Fix It
Fred Swaniker

In the speech "The Leaders Who Ruined Africa and the Generation Who Can Fix it," Fred Swaniker discusses Africa's past leaders and his hopes for its future leaders.

Pair “The Leaders Who Ruined Africa and the Generation Who Can Fix It” with “Excerpt from ‘Our America’” and ask students to discuss how both texts explore the importance of education. How do both texts propose how education should be altered to better prepare the leaders of the future? What characteristics do Fred Swaniker and José Martí think are important for leaders to possess in order to successful lead a nation?

11th Grade Speech 1030L
On the Education of Youth in America
On the Education of Youth in America
Noah Webster

In the essay "On the Education of Youth in America," Noah Webster discusses the benefits of educating young Americans for the nation overall.

Pair “On the Education of Youth in America” with “Excerpt from ‘Our America’” and ask students to compare the two authors’ ideas on education. What would both authors like to see change about education in the United States and Latin America? How would these changes positively impact people’s abilities to lead nations?

11th Grade Essay 1030L
Excerpt from Pedro's Theory: Reimagining the Promised Land
Excerpt from Pedro's Theory: Reimagining the Promised Land
Marcos Gonsalez

In Excerpt from Pedro's Theory: Reimagining the Promised Land, Marcos Gonsalez explores a new way of belonging in the world through the lens of his experiences as a "tourist." Pair Excerpt from “Our America” with Excerpt from Pedro’s Theory: Reimagining the Promised Land and ask students to consider the influence of José Martí’s views on the work of Marcos Gonsalez. Explain Martí’s and Gonsalez’s shared definition of “America” in both texts. According to Martí, what were some of the “hostile elements” that America inherited and still endures “from its perverse, despotic colonizer” (Paragraph 2)? Choose a quote from Excerpt from “Our America” that illustrates these hostile elements from Martí’s point of view. Though the texts were written over 125 years apart, both authors share a similar vision for the America — and world — they would like to create and inhabit. Describe their ideal, and discuss the philosophical beliefs underlying their goals. Beyond sharing a world view, are there similarities in style between the two texts? Explain your response.

12th Grade Memoir 1150L