Book 1 Post 2

I really enjoyed “American Like Me” because it melded together many themes that are central to humanity and finding your place in the world. I really appreciated the conclusion of “American Like Me,” where Ferrera connects her struggles of fitting in and finding herself in her culture with a positive lesson that can connect to any person reading this collection of stories. She shares that she “didn’t get [her] career-making roles… in spite of who [she] was, [but she] got them because of who [she] was.” She was her own person who could add value in a special way, and she used that fact to her advantage; she learned that her challenges and how she overcame them allowed her to connect with others and find a sense of belonging for herself and others. I love how she explained how writing this book and compiling the stories of her friends, peers, and heroes would serve to amplify each other's voices, including the reader, who has a special and unique story and experience that should never be discounted. Ferrera ultimately successfully portrays the narrative flow in a way that highlights each person’s struggles and their successes and growth in each story. It gives the reader a feeling of happiness and peace with how each narrator has found their place in America and has become such amazing contributors to society.

One theme I noticed in this book was the theme of sacrifice. America Ferrera and those who share their stories in “American Like Me” explore and reflect on the great sacrifices they made in coming to America and working towards achieving their dreams and access to opportunities. Ferrera explains how when she has a hard time, she remembers that her mother sacrificed everything so she and her five siblings could “have too much homework.” She recognizes and appreciates the sacrifices that people make to live in America and embrace the life they have instead of always comparing her life to others and looking for more. I especially connected with the sacrifices that Michelle Kwan, Martin Sensmeier, and Roxane Gay’s families made, and felt more connected to the spirit and determination these families had.

Another theme of family surfaced again and again throughout the narrative. Each narrator described how they connected with those around them and connected with their “family”, whether that be by blood or by strong connection. Padma Lakshmi closed her narrative by explaining their celebration of Divali–the most important Hindu holiday–with prayers to God. I appreciated this quote: “While we are still unsure of what God actually looks like….we savor the celebration of being together and the act of remembering who we are.” I really enjoyed this quote because it reminded me of at the end of the day, most of these stories are about family and belonging, and all the extra noise falls away.

I overall appreciated how no matter how different the reader is to each of these heroes sharing their stories in this book, they can connect to the emotions and stories they intimately share. Each story adds so much value to the book and shows another perspective of a person who is on their journey of finding how they fit in the world.