Mama's Nightingale

This story, which is about a Haitian family’s struggle with the U.S. immigration system, is relatable to many family experiences in coming to America. The author, who was separated from her parents by the immigration system as a child, utilizes a metaphor about a nightingale to drive an emotional reaction from the reader. Told from the daughter’s point of view, the reader is introduced to the sad reality that her mother is being held in a detention center for not having documentation of legal residency. This seems to confuse the narrator and she asks her father if she can give her own “papers” to her mother. The narrator notices her father often writing letters to influential figures, in hopes of rectifying his wife’s situation. The daughter inquires as to whether she could also write letters to help bring her mother home. After her letter gets published in a local newspaper, the tragic story makes its way into a television interview. This notoriety brings about a motion to have her mother appear before a judge. The judge ends up granting the motion to allow the mother to come home, while awaiting her correct documentation.

Mama's Nightingale in the Classroom

This book has the potential to directly relate to some students’ lives. While all students will be able to relate to the sadness they would feel if they couldn’t be with their loved ones, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse students may have first-hand experience with the immigration system.

While this book is leveled for kindergarten to third grade students, it would be a very challenging independent read for most primary students. This book would have the potential to be most impactful when centered around a discussion about the sociopolitical implications.

For students that may have experienced related trauma, this book should be preceded with a preview and discussion. Students should have the opportunity to share experiences from their own lives, if they wish to do so.

Additional Resources

Guidance on Writing Immigrant Letters of Support

www.colorincolorado.org/sites/default/files/Guidance%20on%20Letters%20of%20Support_FINAL_0.pdf

Danticat, E.(2015). Mama’s Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation. Penguin Group.