Book 1, Post 1

I am physically incapable of making decisions. Indecisive, if you will. This trait is precisely why I read the first chapters of every book option we had before settling on American Like Me. Its short story structure gave me the illusion of not having to make a decision. I didn’t choose a single story with American Like Me – I chose all 30 something of them. This took away the pressure of having to love or resonate entirely with the book before starting it. Now, being more than halfway through the collection, I wanted to share my initial thoughts and favorite ‘chapters’ so far. 

Like many of the stories in American Like Me, my parents are immigrants. This fact has followed me throughout my life, impacting how I navigate the world around me. From cultural differences, values, and even food, it’s what has made me uniquely me. This is precisely why I’ve thoroughly enjoyed American Like Me. Everyone’s stories have been so relatable, yet not at the same time (and that’s what I like about it!)

Despite following the same archetype of navigating America, everyone’s unique storyline nuances have ultimately led them onto different paths as successful individuals. Some struggled with being immigrants themselves, some struggled with having immigrant parents, some struggled with being true to themselves, and some didn’t have any of these issues at all. Being American doesn’t mean you fit into certain boxes; being American means having the courage to just be you. 

With that being said, I would like to highlight Liza Koshy’s chapter. I’ve grown up watching her on YouTube growing up, so I was especially able to hear her own voice within the written words. This is precisely what we’ve been discussing in class—finding our own voice—and her chapter is filled with examples. Content wise, I related to many topics Liza mentioned. Both of us are from Houston, and with it being so diverse, I too didn’t have many issues or feelings of embarrassment when connecting with my Asian American identity. However, this doesn’t mean that mine and Liza’s stories are exactly the same – I was still able to resonate with other stories as well. American Like Me truly emphasizes the similarities (that allow us to be more empathetic towards each other) and differences (that contributes to America's amazing diversity) between all of us as we navigate through growing up in this country. I am excited to finish the other half of the book and report back more of my findings. Until then!