Mini Book Review

The book I read was American Like Me by America Ferrera. I am extremely happy with my choice of literature and the expectation I had when initially choosing the book. My expectations for the book were tied closely with my admiration for Ferreira’s passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Along with our shared experiences of being children of immigrants and the complexity that comes along with that background.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it matched the expectations I had of the central ideology of DEI of being first generation or an immigrant at a young age. What really intrigued me and expanded my enjoyment was that every chapter was dedicated to a specific celebrity personality and they got to tell their story of being children of immigrants, the struggles it posed, but most importantly how they excelled and utilized everything to be the successes that they are. I found myself relating to so many of the niche stories and expressions described in every story. Many of the chapters brought me to tears, because of the realization that I am not alone in so much of the guilt and confusion I felt growing up in an immigrant family. It brought comfort to know this is a collective shared experience, while not every story follows the same path, many of the key emotions are shared.

I applaud Ferrera for incorporating so many nuanced experiences because it really expands the idea that America is a melting pot of multitude of life stories. 32 chapters with 32 varying stories of how their lives shaped who they are. It adds to the idea that while we are so different and add differences to the melting pot, at the end of the day we are American. We are part of a country that shaped who we are, even with the hardships posed.

I highly recommend this book, I think it adds a very important point of view everyone should have. Even if you don't directly relate to any of the chapters, the perspective it gives is so important to further connect with everyone around you.