Book 1, Post 2
American Like Me
edited by America Ferrera
"Dear reader, there is great power in your story, especially in the pieces that have never been seen or told before" - America Ferrera
The book that I chose to read is American Like Me: Reflections On Life Between Cultures by America Ferrera. This book initially intrigued me because I liked that it included a collection of stories written by multiple people. I felt that various stories and perspectives would give an insight to different backgrounds and experiences. Which is a big reason on why I ultimately went with this book as I feel that I will be able to relate to some of those experiences. Not going to lie, another deciding factor for me was the cover. I really like the way the colors go together and the fact that all of the names are included in a nice border surrounding the book title.
Now that I have finished the book I can say that it was an amazing read. I have already recommended it to a couple of my friends that saw me reading it and asked about it. There were many different elements that I enjoyed from the book. First I love that there is a photograph and brief description before every chapter. This is a great way to show who is writing the chapter and whose story you are about to read. As I mentioned before I also liked that there was a variety of authors from different cultural backgrounds. Throughout the book I also noticed that many of the essays were formatted differently, whether that be by tone or length. For example, Joy Cho's chapter was set up in little sections with quotes and small images. Despite having some differences though, all of the stories were powerful and moving.
As I mentioned in my first post I found myself relating to Diane Guerrero's chapter. However, instead of playing and pretending with Cabbage Patch dolls I did it with Barbies. These Barbies like the Cabbage Patch dolls always had blond hair and blue eyes. On the rare occasion that they had dark hair they still either had blue or green eyes. This was only one of the many chapters and experiences that I found myself relating to. My biggest takeaway from this book was that all of our differences is what truly help us connect to each other.
Monica,
ReplyDeleteI also read this book, and I loved the quote you pulled out from the conclusion about the reader's story being powerful. I just think overall Ferrera did a great job of empowering readers and acknowledging everyone's different paths and journeys, and not to discount it just because you think others might have had the same experience.
I also really appreciated the addition of pictures of the narrator before each story, it really helped to put a face to a name and allow the reader to experience the story even stronger and more connected to the narrator.
Hey Monica,
ReplyDeleteI like that you mentioned the multiple perspectives of the book and the insight it gives. Being a third culture kid, especially in America, can be effected by so many factors that one perspective is rarely the full picture. In your last paragraph, you talk about how our differences help us connect with one another. This is something that my Dad use to tell me growing up. If no one had differences, no one would learn anything new. It is a super important part of human connection and I'm glad you brought it up.
I also really liked the intros with photos and descriptions about the next person sharing their story. It is a great way to learn a little bit about the writer and put a face to the name. The stories were definitely moving and I felt motivated after each one!
ReplyDeleteMonica,
ReplyDeleteI also honestly chose the book partially due to the cover, I agree, it's super eye-catching and satisfying! I really love how when reading everyone's posts about this book, nearly everybody was able to personally relate to some aspect or story within the book. I think that really highlights how this book should be read by everybody. No matter where they come from and how much they can personally relate with the experiences, it is a great book to educate and motivate!