Book 1, Post 1

    As a biracial American who grew up with two different cultures, American Like Me perfectly tapped into my emotions and feelings of relatedness. Each story does a great job of conveying the meaningfulness behind the writing. It's not just a collection of stories but rather an intimate peak into the writer's mind. Luckily for me, I have never experienced any negative feelings about being half Asian, even when I was younger. I didn't notice a difference in myself or any of my peers and was able to grow up with the freedom to truly express myself however I wanted. Growing up in California, I was exposed to lots of diversity of cultures, whether it was at school, playing sports, or within my friend group. 

    Each piece of writing outlines such an individually unique story, but they all have a common theme: Being true to yourself in the midst of assimilating in America. Without having to outright explain each issue, the authors illustrate some of the struggles that minorities face through their personalized storytelling. Each story made me appreciate both sides of my culture and made me especially thankful for all the hardships that my parents endured to make my life easier. It's funny how accurate some of the stories were to my upbringing. I went through the exact same situation bargaining for turtle food with my mom as Al Madrigal did with his son. Even Jenny Zhang's story about her family's experience at Sizzler's is almost identical to my experience when I go out to eat with my Vietnamese side of the family. 

    Overall, I actually enjoyed reading each story much more than I thought I would. I liked how each personal account was short enough for me to focus and read all the way through. The whole book struck a lot closer to home than I anticipated, with each story being so emotional and inspiring.