Book 1: Autobiographical Memoirs, Post 1

 American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures, edited by America Ferrera

After reading the preface to American Like Me, I was immediately drawn by the embrace of multiculturalism. As a first-generation American myself, the topics covered by writers who all experienced growing up between cultures really resonated with me. At a young age, I struggled with balancing two cultures and embracing being Chinese American. Growing up, this experience wasn't talked about in my family or much in the media. Seeing all these established people from different careers and ethnicities all sharing similar struggles in this collection of stories is both validating and comforting. 

So far, I find the book personable and easy to read. America's introduction sets the tone as she explains her struggle justifying her "American" name through anecdotes of her first day of school. I found it interesting to learn about the true origins of her name through small stories she remembers. She talks about how her first crush was the first one to point out that her features weren't the norm. I was surprised to find similarities in her experiences. The process of realizing that there was differentiations in what it meant to be American and having to "shape-shift" between two cultures was something I had to learn when I was young as well. Despite covering heavy topics, America still keeps the tone light with dialogues and snippets of memories. I am excited to continue reading the other writers' stories.