Call Me American

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. He is born “probably in 1985.” (Chapter 1)

2. Italy (Chapter 1)

3. Mogadishu (Chapter 1)

4. A civil war breaks out. (Chapter 2)

5. A crocodile (Chapter 2)

Short Answer

1. Hassan did not cry when he was circumcised by their father. (Chapter 1)

2. Nomads care little about borders or nations, only about the rains, their herds, and their families. (Chapter 1).

3. Somalia receives help from the United States. (Chapter 1).

4. Because they are from the Rahanweyn tribe (Chapter 2)

5. Men will be the main targets of an attack, which poses a danger to their families. (Chapter 2)

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. Qat, a plant that has a narcotic effect when chewed (Chapter 5)

2. “Abdi American” (Chapter 6)

3. Coming to America (Chapter 7)

4. Imam or soldier (Chapter 7)

5. Weddings (Chapter 8)

6. Kenya (Chapter 8)

Short Answer

1. She has a VHS player and operates a cinema in her home, where Abdi watches American films. (Chapter 5)

2. UN troops protect distribution of aid to Somalians, trying to keep it away from warlords. (Chapter 5)

3. More food becomes available in Mogadishu because of the UN. (Chapter 5)

4. Hassan drops out of religious school and takes up pigeon racing, and Abdi refuses to become Basbaas’s assistant. (Chapters 6-7)

Chapters 9-12

Reading Check

1. Via email (Chapter 9)

2. He goes to Bosaso on the Gulf of Aden, hoping to take a boat to Yemen. (Chapter 10)

3. al-Shabaab (Chapter 11)

4. Paul Salopek (Chapter 11)

5. “Messages from Mogadishu” (Chapter 12)

Short Answer

1. They believe it is a religious sign. (Chapter 9)

2. They target American ships and profit from finding Islamist terrorists in Somalia. This causes people to turn against the West-backed warlords. (Chapter 9)

3. He watches boats depart from Bosaso and knows that many on board will not survive the dangerous journey. (Chapter 10)

4. It is supported by the United States. (Chapter 11)

5. Talking to journalists may help him escape from Somalia. (Chapter 12)

Chapters 13-Epilogue

Reading Check

1. On the back of a motorcycle (Chapter 13)

2. Nairobi, Kenya (Chapter 13)

3. Muna (Chapter 13)

4. He wins the American Green Card Lottery. (Chapter 13)

5. A cheeseburger (Chapter 15)

6. To be Somalia’s first Rahanweyn president one day (Epilogue)

Short Answer

1. All the residents of Little Mogadishu are required to return to the refugee camps. (Chapter 13)

2. His “Messages from Mogadishu” recordings have made him a celebrity. (Chapter 13)

3. They make a backup plan to go to Libya and then cross into Italy, because the odds that Abdi’s visa application will be accepted are low. (Chapter 14)

4. He loves America, but many of his friends wish to return to their relatives. (Chapter 16)

5. They meet to discuss how to avoid being targeted for their beliefs. (Epilogue)