Book Post 1 - Americans Like Me

American Like Me
First Impressions
I was born and raised in Miami with a Colombian mother, and have always considered Latin culture to
be an important part of my personal identity. Not only was I immersed in a Colombian lifestyle in my
house, but exploring the city while growing up also guaranteed that I had friends from virtually every
major Latin country. This makes America Ferrera’s book particularly personal for me. Miami has a unique
atmosphere where Latin culture has fully blended with that of the United States, but outside of the city, I
have seen my friends and family judged and discriminated against for their ethnicities. Furthermore,
Hollywood’s depiction of Colombia has shown the country as nothing more than a cartel-ridden nation
of drugs, something which has always bothered me deeply. It is therefore incredibly inspiring for me to
see an influential Latina stand by her heritage and denounce the subtle judgements our society makes.
Ferrera’s introduction was extremely powerful, and left me with nothing but anticipation for the rest of
the book. 

The first few chapters feature two different ethnicities, Indian and Mexican. And although they use
different strategies, the overall messages remain the same: never be ashamed of your heritage, because
that is what makes you truly unique. Al Madrigal focused his story on the positive parts of his culture
that he wants to pass down to his son. In his view, it is due to the lessons he was taught that he has been
able to succeed in life. Reshma Saujani, on the other hand, highlighted her painful journey towards
accepting her Indian culture, one that required her to give up major opportunities and endure systematic
racism. Both of these people ultimately came to the conclusion that their heritage provides them with
more strengths than it does weaknesses. These are the types of authentic stories that make me hopeful
for the future of representation in media. And with over two dozen stories to go, I can’t wait to see what
the remaining guests have to tell. 

Comments

  1. NicoleSeptember 8, 2019 at 11:08 PM

    One's heritage or culture is often a key element of who they are as a person and finding solidarity through one's cultural groups helps form a sense of community. Stories of how these cultural communities have helped their members are amazing to hear. The format of this books seems like an amazing way to hear these stories and learn to appreciate your own cultural groups more.

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