Book 1 Post 2
The second half of American Like Me, was just as fascinating as the first half. The stories really emphasized how America truly celebrates diversity and the effectiveness of multiculturalism. All the stories told are from people with different backgrounds who have all have gone through similar experiences. As a daughter to immigrant parents from Iran myself, it has been so refreshing to read these essays as they are relatable to me.
One of the essays that really stood out to me in the second half was Joy Cho's story. She talked about how she wanted to do everything she could to fit in with the other kids at school when she was younger. She made it her job to teach her parents how to be "American Parents". An example she gave about how she did this was she taught her parents to make her American-style lunches instead of packing her Thai curry for lunch. This example stood out to me so much because when I was ten years old, I thought it was so embarrassing when my mom packed me Persian food for lunch. I started telling my mom she needed to pack me peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like all the other kids. Fast forward 10 years later, I'd way rather prefer delicious Persian food over a sandwich, but as a kid I wanted to fit in like Joy Cho.
These stories highlight that as children we don't care to learn about our cultures. Instead, we are so focused on fitting in and building our own American identities that learning about our cultures is not a priority. As we grow older and wiser, we realize how important it is that we learn about our parents backgrounds and to connect with our cultures. For example, in one of the essays Randall Park said he had Korean immigrant parents but had no clue about his parents' background as a child. As he got older, he realized that it was important that he learned, so he interviewed both of his parents about their prior life in Korea. I think this book is extremely inspirational for young people as it can help them value their culture in addition to finding their own identity.
Hi Noor – I enjoyed reading your sentiment about how we tend to revert to our authentic selves when we stop trying to fit in with the crowd. I couldn't agree more
ReplyDeleteNoor, it's nice to see how you can relate this book to your own life. I'm sure many people all over the country have similar stories, and it's great we can have an open discussion about it.
ReplyDeleteHi Noor! I also enjoyed reading Joy Cho's story and found it interesting to hear you had a similar experience with your school lunches!
ReplyDeleteHey Noor! Definitely agree with how important it is to reconnect with our cultures after growing up and building an "American" identity. Love how every first/second-generation American has a school lunch story too haha, me as well.
ReplyDeleteHey Noor, I liked your analysis of the book and how you were able to take something away after reading it. I also liked how you were able to relate some parts of the book to your experience. Good job!
ReplyDeleteHi Noor! I really enjoyed reading your post. It is interesting how as kids we care more about fitting in but as we get older, we care much more about learning what makes you unique--like your culture and background.
ReplyDeleteHi Noor, great post! I also had a similar experience with my school lunches so I understand how you felt in those moments, but I'm glad we both found strength in our diversity after reading this book. "Building an American identity" is something that is so unique to everyone.
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