Back to My Own Country: An Essay

According to “Back to My Own Country,” which best describes the contrast between how Levy’s parents lived in Jamaica and how they lived in England?

• In Jamaica they worked as servants. In England they owned a business.

• In Jamaica they lived in the country. In England they lived in the city.

• In Jamaica they were middle class. In England they were poor.

• In Jamaica they always felt humble. In England they always felt

  superior.

Which category of people can accurately be described as indigenous to their country?

• those who own property there

• those who are native to the country

• those who are employed

• those who are adults

If a person wishes to assimilate into a culture, which of the following must he or she do? Base your answer on the meaning of assimilate.

• The person must speak two languages.

• The person must apply for citizenship.

• The person must get a job.

• The person must adopt new customs.

According to “Back to My Own Country,” why was Levy ashamed of her family when she was young?

• because she had absorbed the lesson that it was better to be white than black

• because her parents did their best to adapt to English culture and customs

• because her family refused to associate with other Caribbean immigrants

• because her mother worked as a seamstress instead of teaching school

In According to “Back to My Own Country,” which best describes the effect writing had on Levy’s feelings about her

Caribbean heritage?

• Through writing, she grew proud of having always thought of herself as English.

• Through writing, she began to distance herself from her Caribbean ancestry.

• Through writing, she came to terms with the barriers that existed between ethnic groups.

• Through writing, she became intrigued by and excited about her ethnic heritage.

The following sentence from “Back to My Own Country” describes society on the British-ruled Caribbean islands:

Creole cultures developed with a wide range of skin colors that were elaborately classified (mulatto quadroon, octoroon, and so on) as a divide-and-rule tactic by the British plantocracy.

Which is the most reasonable inference about why the British would support a system of social rank based on skin color?

• The system would make it impossible for islanders to migrate to

  England.

• The system would prevent costly civil warfare among the islanders.

• The system would prevent the people from uniting to overthrow British rule.

• The system would defeat Spanish attempts to colonize the islands.

Which of the following does the word upbringing refer to?

• serving one’s country

• helping one’s partner

• raising one’s children

• repairing one’s house

According to “Back to My Own Country,” which best describes the effect the Caribbean slave-owning economy had on the British Empire?

• The Caribbean economy enabled the British Empire to thrive and expand.

• The Caribbean economy caused a major financial crisis in the British Empire.

• The Caribbean economy first established the British Empire as a major power.

• The Caribbean economy helped the British Empire to victory in two world wars.

According to “Back to My Own Country,” which best describes the population of the Caribbean islands during the height of the British Empire?

• British, African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Jewish, and Indian

• almost entirely African

• British, African, and indigenous peoples

• British and African

In “Back to My Own Country,” why does the young Levy identify herself more with whites than with blacks? Choose two options.

• Her parents led her to believe she had English ancestry.

• Her salary was higher because her boss thought she was white.

• She did not want to be judged by the color of her skin.

• Her boyfriend and her closest friends were white.

• She was brought up in a mostly white neighborhood.