1. Research and write a report on the life and ideas of Emiliano Zapata.

2. At one point, Keeny recalls reading about "that dude Thoreau." Research this nineteenth-century American writer and thinker's life and explain what parallels you find between Thoreau's actions and attitudes and Keeny's.

3. Using periodicals, research and report on current problems with street gangs in Los Angeles. Compare the accounts you find with those in Viva Chicano. What differences do you find, and how do you account for them?

4. Write an essay on the causes of Keeny's criminal behavior and why you believe Mr. Baker's solution is effective or ineffective.

5. Write an essay on the effects of ethnic prejudice on the lives and characters in the novel.