Book 1 Post 1

 For the first book, I chose to read American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures. I have almost finished the book and I have loved everything I have read so far. I have recommended this book to all of my friends as I think it is so important to read. The unique thing about America that is sometimes easy to forget is that there are so many cultures, perspectives, and representations in this country. However, despite all the talk about the American Dream and a melting pot of cultures, it does not always feel like that from a diverse point of view. 

I was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, and lived there my entire life before coming to LA for college. My dad was born in the UK but our entire family is of Indian descent. His parents and every relative before that were born in India. It's not that I never felt like I fit in, but more like I was not enough of each side of me. I was never Indian enough but not the same kind of American as a lot of my friends. This book put into words over and over again things that lived underneath the surface of me but I could never formulate into words. 

When I was younger I used to go to temple, celebrate Indian holidays, and wear traditional clothing to Indian events. I ate traditional food and felt that I had a small feel of my Indian side. However, as I got older I lost that side of me. I stopped celebrating holidays and going to temple. It almost feels like a fever dream at this point. I sometimes feel guilty or like I missed out on my culture now as I have lost touch with that side of me. The stories in this book taught me two important things. The first is that this is a common experience. I don't need to feel like I did something wrong or gave up a part of me. The second is that my journey is not over. I can still get in touch with my culture and find the part of me that I lost. In this book, I read many stories of inspiring adults who got in touch with their culture, accepted themselves, or learned about themselves later in life. I do not need to have the mindset that my culture is behind me and lost forever. There is still time for me to reclaim my culture and my identity in this culture. 

What I loved most about this book is reading stories and recalling times when I had the same experience. For example, the story about Reshma Sayjani not being able to find her name on a keychain or making up a Starbucks name. Carmen Perez feeling lost as she did not speak the same language as her parents. There are many other examples but my point is that I felt those stories. I could never put it into words but I understood what they were saying and could resonate with their words. They gave my feelings a voice. 

I am looking forward to reading the rest of this book and understanding not only my own experience of being foreign in this country but other cultural experiences in this nation. While there are common themes among immigrants, each culture has its own experience and own stereotypes. Everyone has their own perspective and has been a pure joy to experience each one.