Book 1 Post 1

Book 1 Post 1

I chose to read American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures by America Ferrera for Book 1. Reading through all the summaries of the book choices, I particularly felt intrigued by the collection of first-hand stories Ferrera chose to be a part of this book. Growing up in a multicultural household, I relate to many instances articulated in the text. As I read each of the 31 essays, it seems almost seamless to put myself in the narrator's shoes and recount times when I shared the same experiences he or she has.

To begin, as I mentioned in my “Who You Are Matters” post, with my mother from Haiti and my father from Italy, my parents strived to raise my brother and me in a household where we were proud of both our heritages. However, growing up in Westlake Village, California posed a considerable obstacle to that goal. Westlake Village has historically been a predominantly white neighborhood with almost 88% of the population identifying as white and less than 2% identifying as black. I relate to Ferrera as I too recall feeling ostracized due to my multicultural background and being black-presenting. I remember in third grade my class had a potluck for Thanksgiving and I signed up to bring rice. When I brought Haitian rice, it was met with murmurs of confusion and ridicule from my classmates. This experience was a turning point for me, as I realized that even though I was born in America, I felt like I didn't belong and that my diversity was being mocked. At the age of eight, I faced the harsh reality that my environment never viewed me as “American”. 

A specific essay that was particularly impactful for me was the essay on Uzo Aduba. Uzo Aduba points out that her mother had carried herself in a way other American mothers didn’t. For example, she points out that despite her mom having an accent, she spoke the most elegant English and emphasized the importance of education. This passage reminded me almost exactly of my grandmother who has lived with me throughout my childhood. My grandmother also graduated college from Haiti, similar to how Aduba’s mother graduated in Nigeria and focused heavily on mastering the English language. Although she did everything to teach herself proper English like Aduba’s mother did, it differed from the vernacular that her peers would speak. She would always emphasize that as hard as she tried to assimilate into American culture, it would be an inevitable battle that would eventually be won by accepting imperfection.  

As I keep reading, I am interested in hearing the narratives of other individuals that have also immigrated to America and the obstacles they have faced when trying to assimilate into American culture.