Book Post 2 - American Like Me

American Like Me

American Like Me is a collection of 32 stories, told first-hand by a wide range of successful actors, athletes, activists, and more who grew up with a connection to more than one culture. These people are either immigrants, children or grandchildren of immigrants, or indigenous, and they try to provide new perspectives on what it’s like to be raised in a unique culture in America. The subjects of the stories vary greatly. Some are positive accounts of how their heritage is a source of strength within American society, while others share heartwrenching examples of the judgement and racism they’ve endured in trying to exercise their cultural identity. But almost all of the authors come to the eventual conclusion that they have grown up stronger because of their background, rather than in spite of it. American Like Me celebrates the whole spectrum of voices that this country has to offer, and conveys the message that no matter how much people try to tell you otherwise, it’s ok to be proud of who you are and where you come from. 

This book resonated with me on a deeply personal level, mainly because my family’s stories would fit in perfectly among those of the rest of the authors. My father is Irish and my mother is Colombian, giving me an exceptionally non-Latin name and appearance while still imbuing me with pride for my Colombian culture. I have subsequently spent most of my life trying to maintain a connection to this part of my identity as those around me make persistent assumptions about my heritage. However, this is not saying that I have had to struggle like some of the subjects in American Like Me. I have been able to embrace my Latin identity largely due to the efforts of my mother. She moved to the U.S. for college and started her career in traditional journalism, but quickly noticed the substantial lack of a Latin presence in the American music scene. She made it her mission to foster the widespread embrace of Hispanic culture, and has since become one of the leading figures in the Latin music industry, as well as a driving force behind the spread of Latin influence in the United States. This is all a long winded way of saying that I chose this book out of appreciation for stories like America’s and my mom’s. I love being able to hear other accounts of how a multicultural background, along with valuable parenting, can set a child apart and ultimately help them achieve success. These stories have helped me put various parts of my unique upbringing in a positive and rewarding context.

American Like Me has 32 stories that are told to varying degrees of success. A few contain less emotional depth and feel more like advertisements for the author’s work, but the vast majority of them are authentic accounts of their experiences with multiculturalism. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The Hispanic contributors reminded me of instances from my own childhood, while those from other cultures expanded my perspective on some of their frequent judgements and hardships. On an interesting note, it seems as though the people who had the most difficulty with their culture growing up were those who were raised in a monocultural setting. This is especially the case during childhood, when everyone is far more sensitive to their ability to fit in. But in nearly every case, their cultural identity turns out to be a major asset in whatever career they pursue. I hope to keep track of the lives of these authors as they progress, and I’m excited to see if there are any more rich anecdotes I can glean from them in the future.