Book 1 - Post 2

 Book 1 – Post 2

 

Book: American Like Me by America Ferreira

 

Reading “American Like Me” has been a very interesting experience. It is a book that has 31 chapters, each telling a unique story of a person who has experienced life between cultures. Although each story is short, it’s the perfect length to get a glimpse of who the person is, and their voice, and understand a part of how growing up torn between cultures influenced who they are today. I think one of the hardest parts of growing up between two or more cultures is feeling you don’t really belong to either of them. In my opinion, this sense of not belonging at the same time can be seen as each of the cultures making part of who the person is. For this reason, I think that experience is what makes people unique and special because no one has had the same experience and therefore, sees the world the way they do it.

 

One of the chapters that I recently read and enjoyed the most is the one by Jenny Zhang. She is a poetry writer who was born in Shanghai and grew up in Queens. In this chapter, she shared how the diner Sizzler was an important place for her childhood and a happy place for her family. I love thinking about the concept of home away from home. Some places simply fill us with calmness, safety, and warmness. Two years ago, when I moved to the US, I started to experience the feeling myself. But I did realize finding this safe space is not a coincidence, is it built by us. The place where I can be unapologetically me: I think that is what home is.

One of the biggest lessons this book imparts to me is the recognition that understanding myself largely requires comprehending my origins. When we are born, we inevitably assimilate expectations and self-beliefs from our surroundings and the individuals we share most time with. Every aspect of our identity has a reason behind it. Therefore, getting to know the deepest parts of who we are requires we explore who our family is, what is their story, and what traits did I inherit from them. People are living legacies of others experiences.