Question

Read the excerpt from "Like Mexicans."

We had lunch: sandwiches, potato chips, and iced tea. Carolyn and her mother talked mostly about neighbors and the congregation at the Japanese Methodist Church in West Fresno. Her father, who was in khaki work clothes, excused himself with a wave that was almost a salute and went outside. I heard a truck start, a dog bark, and the truck rattle away.

How does Soto build a central idea of his story in the excerpt?
By showing how Carolyn’s family lives in a way that is strange to him, Soto supports the idea that culture causes conflict between people.
By showing how Carolyn’s family lives in a way that is boring to him, Soto supports the idea that people from different cultures do not share interests.
By showing how Carolyn’s family lives in a way that is familiar to him, Soto supports the idea that people from different cultures can also share a culture.

Answer 1

The third choice. Soto describes ordinary, familiar details — sandwiches, chips, iced tea, talk about neighbors and church, the father's casual salute and leaving in a truck — to show a common, everyday American life. These shared details support the idea that people from different backgrounds can also share a culture.