Book 1, Post 2

 Book 1, Post 2
American Like Me, edited by America Ferrera

After finishing 1 chapter:

I chose to read American Like Me because its preview suggests it will explore the experiences of someone who grew up with immigrant parents. Someone like me - maybe I can somehow relate. I would like to see if there are any similarities between us, maybe I can relate to her stories of growing up with immigrant parents. Although I have never watched any of America Ferrera's movies, I would like to see how she became the actress, producer, and director she is today. 

I was also captured by her name, America. When she mentioned that her teacher would tease her and say "God Bless America," I giggled. Because, my name is Erica, which is in "America"; I remember my gym teacher would tease me and say "It's Erica! Erica, America." Similarly to her, I found it quite uncomfortable. It's also funny when she said that when she complained to her parents about having too much homework, her mother would remind her of the conditions back in Honduras. Growing up, my parents would also say that I was lucky to be in America and that they would climb mountains every day just to go to school. So far, I really enjoyed the book and found it quite relatable. 

After finishing the book:

Initially, I thought the entire biography would be about America Ferrera. But to my surprise, it's a compilation of many actors, influencers, and authors -- who came from a family of immigrant parents. I recognized many familiar names; such as Liza Koshy, Jeremy Lin, Anna Akana, and so on. What stood out to me was how relatable their experiences were to my own. For instance, growing up, I was also not allowed to order a drink when we went out to eat -- a common experience among many first-generation Americans, which I found amusing.

One account that stood out to me was Jenny Zhang. She shared how her family would go to Sizzler's, and this was the only time her family would use forks and knives instead of chopsticks. This was also the only time she was allowed to order a soft drink since Sizzler was cheap and was an "all you can eat". She also mentioned how her family placed American food on the lowest of rungs, yet the white kids at school would mock her whenever she brought Chinese food for lunch. She noted how the Chinese take-out food is so different from the Chinese food she would eat at home. What's funny is, that my parents used to own a Chinese fast-food restaurant, and that's the Chinese food I grew up eating. I loved my egg roll with chicken wings over fried rice!

I would recommend this book. It offers a unique opportunity to learn about the diverse lives and experiences from various fields. It's actually quite a quick read, each autobiography is quite short; but it's easy to pick up and enjoy. Each story gives you a glimpse into these individuals' lives, and little stories of how they overcame challenges and how having come from immigrant backgrounds shaped their identities.