Ratings3
Average rating4
"From award-winning actress and political activist America Ferrera comes a vibrant and varied collection of first person accounts from prominent figures about the experience of growing up between cultures. America Ferrera has always felt wholly American, and yet, her identity is inextricably linked to her parents' homeland and Honduran culture. Speaking Spanish at home, having Saturday-morning-salsa-dance-parties in the kitchen, and eating tamales alongside apple pie at Christmas never seemed at odds with her American identity. Still, she yearned to see that identity reflected in the larger American narrative. Now, in American Like Me, America invites thirty-one of her friends, peers, and heroes to share their stories about life between cultures. We know them as actors, comedians, athletes, politicians, artists, and writers. However, they are also immigrants, children or grandchildren of immigrants, indigenous people, or people who otherwise grew up with deep and personal connections to more than one culture. Each of them struggled to establish a sense of self, find belonging, and feel seen. And they call themselves American enthusiastically, reluctantly, or not at all. Ranging from the heartfelt to the hilarious, their stories shine a light on a quintessentially American experience and will appeal to anyone with a complicated relationship to family, culture, and growing up."--
Reviews with the most likes.
Counting this as my Honduras book around the world since America Ferrara is the editor and discusses her experience as a daughter of immigrants from Honduras to some length.
This book was very well put together and very relatable. I don't know why I waited so long to read stories about immigrants but I am so glad I am.
There's nothing like feeling represented. A number of the stories resonated with me. Diving in to the experiences of multiple people felt much like reading Chicken of the Soup. The adversity many felt at a young age led them to become who they are today. It's hard to manifest negative energy into a positive outcome, yet each and every one of these people has done just that.