America Like Me - Final Thoughts (#2)

"America Like Me"

Final reflection on book by America Ferrera

Throughout this book, I began seeing some stories I enjoyed reading more than others and some I also resonated with more than others. That being said, I started picking random authors that I was familiar with to read their essays and gain this behind-the-scenes insight into their life. Notably, two had stuck out to me, Liza Koshy and Issa Rae, by the nature of how much I had previously interacted with their work. 

Firstly, Liza Koshy had a different take on the essay from others as she talked about growing up in a part of Texas that did not discriminate against her or make her feel like an outlier. She described how a "melting pot" was how others would view her community, but she felt that people did not really "melt" into each other. Instead, they added unique flavors and took them individually into the pot, making it more exciting and diverse. I found her essay interesting because, unlike the others, there were no external circumstances and opinions negatively inflicted on her; instead, it was an internal battle she faced by being in this middle gray area. She feels like she cannot wholly be in either her American or her Indian culture and is envious of the extravagant Latino, Jewish, and Black cultural events (those which she could attend but herself could never have). The overarching meaning behind her story really showed me how, regardless of your environment, one's relationship with their identity is a personal journey. It shows that you can be your authentic self in both scenarios where you have similar people around you and those where you do not. In addition, there is so much value in surrounding yourself with unique people and cultures because it creates a different level of appreciation for your own and opens a window into such eccentric and remarkable pockets of lives. It reduces your life's singularity, allowing you to live multiple timelines in just one. 

The other story I found interesting was Issa Rae since I enjoyed watching her show "Insecure." There are always elements of self-discovery and black history embedded into it, so I was much more curious to see how her early upbringing influenced her work and the woman she is today. Firstly, I was surprised about her diverse family background, having a Muslim father from Senegal and a Christian African-American mother from LA. She started with her anecdote regarding her relationship with Ramadan and how that catalyzed her to want to be more immersed in her Senegalese culture with an open mind rather than half-heartedly as she had previously been doing. She mentions how she would attempt to fast, and it would just turn into a myriad of excuses and jokes, which in turn tainted her relationship with her Muslim side. 

Another facet of her story that I found interesting was the change in beauty standards when visiting Senegal. In America, her brothers never protected her because she did not meet the beauty standards, but that was altered entirely in Senegal. This is sometimes how I distinctively feel being in America versus back home in Uganda, and it is interesting the effect it has on one's confidence levels; it is an experience that is hard to explain because it is not blatantly in your face, just a constant undertone of multiple interactions. However, with age, this need for validation does change - just like it did for her, and now she embraces her "awkward" and "artistic" self as her unique selling point to her acting, writing, and directing.

 

Ultimately, I took an unconventional approach to reading this book and would read different essays out of order based on what I wanted to learn/read on a given day. It was enlightening and humanizing to see that despite fame, wealth, knowledge, or age, constant feelings make us human and each unique. But it is even more enlightening to see how all these individuals overcame any personal barrier inflicted upon them to go on and inspire others and do great things with their respective lives.