Book 1 Post 1
For our first book, I chose to read “American Like Me.” This book caught my attention because growing up in North Carolina, I was not exposed to many viewpoints of immigrants in my community, thus I was curious to read essays from different perspectives. Although I was not born in the USA myself, I still grew up in the United States and had a very typical ‘American’ upbringing. Seeing as this book is a collection of essays from many different individuals that have had contrasting experiences both growing up and in the US, I have enjoyed reading about their unique perspectives.
The first story I chose to read, and the one that I felt the most drawn to, was Liza Koshy’s essay. I immediately recognized her name as a Youtube and social media star that has had wide exposure to my generation. In line with her content that I viewed growing up, her perspective seemed to err on the side of optimism and positivity. She has always used humor to attract her audience in her content creation, and this essay followed suit. Being a humorous person myself, I have always enjoyed her content and wanted to learn more about how her upbringing shaped her own identity. Liza discussed growing up going to ceremonies like quinceañeras, which showed her how much different cultures were celebrated. Although she felt a bit isolated, not having her own cultural ceremony to show her friends what her identity meant to her, she threw her own celebrations and enjoyed the diversity of her friend group. She discussed how her group was not a “melting pot,” how Americans typically describe diversity within our country, but a “salad bowl” where differences were brought up often and talked about with love.
Another story I felt drawn to was Michellle Kwan’s. A professional athlete who immigrated from Hong Kong, Michelle’s family was chasing the American dream. Michelle grew up very poor, but her parents were always able to find a way to pay for her skating career. Her parents were extremely committed to allowing Michelle to continue pursuing her dreams without their financial circumstances impacting her. Through this, Michelle learned how important the American dream was to her parents and to herself. She learned the value of hard work, dedication, and being self-sufficient through her parent’s example. Personally, I grew up in a privileged environment where sports were encouraged and normalized. I never had to worry about how my parents would pay for soccer cleats or travel bills. All I had to worry about was how much I loved the sport and how hard the practices were. Reading about Michelle’s story reminded me how much sports can teach us and drive us to become better individuals, as well as how much they bring us together. Although Michelle was an immigrant who came from an underprivileged background, her own resilience and her parent’s determination allowed her to achieve the American Dream.
So far, this book has reminded me of how much positivity and relentless drive can change the course of a person’s life. The experience of immigrants in America is extremely difficult, and can be key in shaping the identities of children who grow up having to “fit in” with American culture. These two stories, in particular, reminded me how fortunate I was growing up and how much I have to be grateful for. Both Liza and Michelle faced issues that are unique to their perspective of an immigrant, but their optimism and dedication to the American Dream were what allowed them to define their own version of success.
The first story I chose to read, and the one that I felt the most drawn to, was Liza Koshy’s essay. I immediately recognized her name as a Youtube and social media star that has had wide exposure to my generation. In line with her content that I viewed growing up, her perspective seemed to err on the side of optimism and positivity. She has always used humor to attract her audience in her content creation, and this essay followed suit. Being a humorous person myself, I have always enjoyed her content and wanted to learn more about how her upbringing shaped her own identity. Liza discussed growing up going to ceremonies like quinceañeras, which showed her how much different cultures were celebrated. Although she felt a bit isolated, not having her own cultural ceremony to show her friends what her identity meant to her, she threw her own celebrations and enjoyed the diversity of her friend group. She discussed how her group was not a “melting pot,” how Americans typically describe diversity within our country, but a “salad bowl” where differences were brought up often and talked about with love.
Another story I felt drawn to was Michellle Kwan’s. A professional athlete who immigrated from Hong Kong, Michelle’s family was chasing the American dream. Michelle grew up very poor, but her parents were always able to find a way to pay for her skating career. Her parents were extremely committed to allowing Michelle to continue pursuing her dreams without their financial circumstances impacting her. Through this, Michelle learned how important the American dream was to her parents and to herself. She learned the value of hard work, dedication, and being self-sufficient through her parent’s example. Personally, I grew up in a privileged environment where sports were encouraged and normalized. I never had to worry about how my parents would pay for soccer cleats or travel bills. All I had to worry about was how much I loved the sport and how hard the practices were. Reading about Michelle’s story reminded me how much sports can teach us and drive us to become better individuals, as well as how much they bring us together. Although Michelle was an immigrant who came from an underprivileged background, her own resilience and her parent’s determination allowed her to achieve the American Dream.
So far, this book has reminded me of how much positivity and relentless drive can change the course of a person’s life. The experience of immigrants in America is extremely difficult, and can be key in shaping the identities of children who grow up having to “fit in” with American culture. These two stories, in particular, reminded me how fortunate I was growing up and how much I have to be grateful for. Both Liza and Michelle faced issues that are unique to their perspective of an immigrant, but their optimism and dedication to the American Dream were what allowed them to define their own version of success.
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