BOOK 1, Post 1

 American Like Me 

I dreaded having to read another book for class. I enjoy reading, but it feels different when I have to read it. At least this time I had a choice, and all the books were unique. I went through the Amazon page of each one and read the reviews. I planned to choose the book that had the best rating and glowing recommendations to read it. I cross-referenced searches, filtered down results and eventually landed on American Like Me. For anyone that didn't choose this book, Amazon describes it as a "collection of first-person accounts from prominent figures about the experience of growing up between cultures". About every 12 pages is a story from someone new. Some people I know, most of them I don't. The part about culture is what stood out to me. I was excited to learn about all the cultures that might be in the book. The US is a melting pot of cultures and there are dozens of stories. However, I completely missed what the book was going to be about.

 

The first story was by the author. She talked about growing up with racism and stereotypes. She had to adapt and overcome but struggled through many of the early years. Her short story prefaced the rest and became invested in every subsequent story. I quickly realized that I was learning about different cultures, but there was more to the stories than that. Although they all grew up in different households, cultures, and environments, they share a common theme. They struggled to find their identity and dealt with people who could not accept diversity. So far, I am thrilled to have chosen this book. I can't wait to read everyone's story and get all sides of the "American" experience.