9781422282618

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Chapter One THEMELTING POT

One summer day, a baby was born to a woman named Lenor and her husband, Martín. Lenor and Martín were very far from home. They had made a long journey over many miles in order to reach America. Their baby, Martín Jr., would grow up in a new land, a place quite different from the one his parents had known. It is an old story. It might be your story, too. But in this case, there is some- thing special about young Martín. The year of his birth was 1566. Martín’s father was mayor of a settlement called St. Augustine, in what would eventually become the state of Florida. Martín de Argüelles Jr. was the first baby born to European settlers of what is now the United States.

Words to Understand

assimilate: to blend in to a new culture or country. cyclical: reoccurring again and again. exiles: people who have left their home country. illiterate: not able to read and write. mobility: the ability to move, either physically or in terms of improving one’s social or financial status.