René Has Two Last Names by Rene Colato Lainez

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René moves from El Salvador to the United States with his family. When he goes to school, René is confused why his teacher only uses one of his last names on his name tag. He had two last names, but all of his friends at school had only one last name. While playing soccer, some of his classmates make fun of his last name, calling it “long dinosaur name.” René does not get upset, but, rather, is determined to explain the important of both his last names to his teacher and friends. This begins a journey into the Hispanic cultural tradition of using both last names as René unveils the origin of his two last names, Lainez and Colato. By the end of the story, Rene’s classmates have a new appreciation for his long name, and so does the reader. This book is an autobiography of the author’s experience when he came to the United States when he was young.

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