American Like Me: Book 2 Post 1

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For my second book, I have chosen to read American Like Me by America Ferrera. I was intrigued by this option because the author is primarily known as an actress (Ugly Betty, How to Train Your Dragon, etc.), but the purpose of this book does not revolve around her own rise to fame. Instead, Ferrera features an array of first-hand accounts from other immigrant/first generation individuals. From what I’ve read on the blogs of my classmates, this book offers a glimpse into living life between two cultures and finding your own identity throughout the process.  

I, myself, am not a child of immigrants- in fact, I believe my ancestors came to America as early as the 1890s. Although it can be fun to trail the lineage of my family tree (and even claim to be Italian, Slovenian, or Irish instead of, simply, another ‘white American’), the truth is that I do not have any direct connection to the immigrant experience. I also didn’t grow up in Southern California (which boasts one of the largest immigrant populations in the United States). Rather, I grew up in a suburb outside of Seattle. Basically, throughout my life I have not had ample opportunity to speak with individuals about the immigrant experience. While I’ve read quite a few books documenting such experiences, most of the authors had immigrated to the United States from Southeast Asia during the Cold War. From what I can tell, Ferrera’s contributors discuss a diverse selection of cultures and countries on several different continents. I am truly looking forward to reading her book (particularly the contributions from Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae).

Comments

  1. Anli ZhangMarch 8, 2020 at 5:52 PM

    Rachel,

    I think that you will like the book and appreciate being American more afterwards :)

    ReplyDelete

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