Book Post - One

Why I Chose American Like Me and What I’m Hoping To Get Out Of It

For this assignment, I chose American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures, by America Ferrera. The premise of looking at America through the lens of multiple cultures felt especially relevant to me as someone who thinks a lot about identity, belonging, and the opportunities that exist across borders. Oftentimes, I face dilemmas between focusing on my life and career here or returning home and contributing to my home country. The main reason stems from questioning if I really belong here. Thus, I’m hoping the book will give me both personal stories and broader insight into how different communities define what it means to be “American” and their own journeys throughout this process.

My Impressions So Far

So far, my impression is that the book offers a wide array of experiences that balance both the challenges and the opportunities of a multicultural life. Most stories touch on universal themes such as parents making sacrifices, children navigating multiple identities, the importance of homeland food, and communities finding strength in diversity. One passage that stood out to me was Reshma Saujani's story: “When I order the grande chai latte at Starbucks, I almost always lie… ‘Maya,’ I say efficiently… I do this because the baristas can spell and pronounce it correctly every single time.” Compared to many international people, my name is relatively simple because it only has three letters, Ela. Yet even here, I often get asked whether it’s spelled with one “L” or two, since Ella is the more common version in the U.S. In Turkey, no one ever questioned my name, but here it sometimes feels foreign or unusual. Sometimes, small moments like introducing yourself to new people or ordering coffee can remind you of how identity shifts depending on where you are and who you are interacting with. 

Another passage that struck me was when Reshma describes standing in front of her classmates and answering questions like, “Were you born with a dot on your head?” or “Do you bathe in curry?” She acknowledges that many of the questions were vaguely racist, yet she was proud of what she had organized because it was her way of “reducing prejudice.” I found this very powerful because it shows how moments of ignorance can also become opportunities for education and empowerment. Instead of letting the questions define her, she reframed the experience as a chance to openly claim her identity and help others learn. What I have learned in my own life is that, regardless of where we come from, we are always going to encounter stereotypical assumptions. Before USC, when I would come to summer camps in the US, people would ask me if we went around with camels in Turkey or if women ever went to school. Since coming to USC, I’ve never had anyone approach me with negativity about being from Turkey. More often, people are simply curious and ask questions because they don’t know much about what life there is like. I’ve found that once I share my perspective, many are surprised and even impressed by how beautiful and vibrant life in Turkey can be. So, reading Reshma’s experiences made me remember how important it is to respond with confidence rather than shame to these types of encounters.