Book 1 Post 1

    The last time I read an entire book was more than a year ago, that book being The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I'm a big fan of Greek Mythology because of its collections of compelling storytelling including both dramatic and relatable characters. Selecting a text for our first book assignment was a tricky task considering that:

1. I find it extremely difficult to follow through with reading a book,

2. I'm going to have to pay for this book out of pocket so I have to read it, and 

3. I'm busy working two jobs plus being a full-time student, so whatever book I choose needs to be interesting and worthwhile. 

    After some careful deliberation, I decided to purchase and read American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures by actress America Ferrera. I didn't pick this book because it was the first one on our list of recommended readings, but I did pick it by breaking the cardinal rule of reading: judging the book by its cover. American Like Me is a collection of first-person stories from prominent public figures, celebrities, and so on that discuss their unique encounters and experiences growing up between cultures. Taking a look at the names, a few of which I did recognize, I thought to myself, "I actually would be interested in learning more about these people's backgrounds and what goes on behind the curtain." This book is also only 305 pages with large pages and large font, both of which are preferable for a low-maintenance reader like myself, and the fact that each chapter is a different story from a different perspective will make it an interesting, engaging read.

    I've only had a chance to read America's introduction and the first chapter by Reshma Saujani, but I can already tell that this book is going to resonate with me in ways that I can't put into words. America's story about grappling with her identity throughout childhood and her vulnerability when sharing about her school-girl crush in elementary school truly hooked me into the book. I also love that America was honest when sharing about her struggles breaking into Hollywood because of her identity and how she had the courage to leave her limiting agent to secure inspiring roles. 

      Reshma's hook for her chapter made me laugh a little because it was so real, so relatable. Reshma's chapter was dedicated to similar struggles with her name and identity, but I found her story to be a bit more relatable to my life experience. For one, I always go by my middle name, Nicole, when I order a drink at Dulce because I can avoid all the annoying questions about my name, where I'm from, if Momo is my real name⎯all the things that are avoidable when I use my American name. Even Reshma's point about not having an American keychain with her name about it was super relatable and a bit funny considering that we both have common names in our native language. What made her story even more relatable was the slight envy she had towards her parents for assimilating to the U.S. with new Americanized versions of their Indian names. This element of her story resonated with me since I've always felt some type of way about my brother having so many opened doors and so fewer, interrogative questions because his first name, Nicholas, is his American name and not his Japanese name, Daichi. Moreover, I admire Reshma's vulnerability to be so transparent about these difficult feelings in addition to the inner-healing it took to embrace her name and motivate others to do the same. 

    All in all, I think this book will be a great read and definitely worth the time. I hope to read some funny stories, maybe even some heart-wrenching ones. America and Reshma's tone of voice, language choice, and other writing elements were so unique, and I look forward to reading what the other contributors shared for this amazing collection of stories. I would've read more but I just picked up the book yesterday and I have other assignments together. I'm going to carve out some more time to read this weekend, and I look forward to sharing more about American Like Me. 

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