by Sara Saedi
Libby ebook
Published: 2018
Genre: YA memoir, humor, sociology
I saw a student reading this and was intrigued. I've had it for quite a while and just struggled to find time to read it. It is a very worthwhile book and would be fantastic for a discussion book!
Chapter 2: "When you're a kid and live under the same roof as your siblings, you're forced to tolerate them. But why would anyone choose to live near their siblings if they don't have to?"
The author was able to tap into the emotions of her teenage self so well! Part of that was because she had journals to refer back to, but she captures the intensity of teenage life very effectively. This part reminded me of some teenagers I know right now who are constantly at one another's throats right now. When I insist that they will likely be good friends as adults, they don't believe me.
Chapter 2: "If there was anything that terrified us as much as getting deported, it was that the principal's office would discover our address scam and send us down the road to the rough-and-tumble streets of Cupertino."
It is so sad that they had to wait so long to get green cards! And they were in fear of getting caught and deported.
Chapter 4: I'd walked away learning a very important lesson: it's no fun to do things you're crappy at."
Oh my. This section was so funny. The page before this quote says so much more: "But here's what my parents actually helped me discover by driving me to theater school every week: I totally sucked at acting. How did celebrities make it seem so easy? There were kids in my class who'd been taking courses at A.C.T. since they were toddlers. They could do Swahili accents and had mastered the Claire Danes chin tremble on cue. They thought improv games were fun, and dropped lines from Tennessee Williams plays in casual conversation. I was just there to get famous and win an Oscar someday. The most riveting performance I gave during the twelve-week session was portraying a stoner at a party."
Chapter 4: "In my not-so-humble opinion, I believe that immigrants are the true American patriots. We never take living in this country for granted."
The power of her observations about citizenship, belonging, and what it meant to be American were so clear. She never romanticizes it; she is brutally honest about the good and the bad in being American. She just paints a picture of what it is like (and what the sacrifices of her parents meant to her) in becoming an American.
"Frequently Asked Questions" between Chapters 4 and 5:
"I bought a book called Go Ask Alice. It's actually a teenager's diary. She's a really normal fifteen-year-old girl until she gets hooked on acid and pot."
Like Sara, I read this book when I was a teen (in the 70s, in my case). And I believed it. And it affected me deeply. But then I found out that it wasn't a true teen story and a therapist named Beatrice Sparks had most likely written it.
Chapter 5: "His smoldering brown eyes (which were always bloodshot) and his perfectly gelled brown hair bore a striking resemblance to those of a young Luke Perry (Archie's dad in Riverdale)."
It was interesting that the author was able to connect with her target audience of today's teens. Luke Perry is her generations hottie on Friends . . . but a dad character in her readers' pop culture!
Chapter 5: "Little did I know that stoners would soon become my relationship kryptonite."
I like her writing style and her use of language. I like her honesty and her empathy for immigrants
Chapter 6: "I wish I had spent my adolescence less annoyed by and resentful of her presence. I wish I had made more of an effort to get to know her better."
Saedi is writing about her Muslim grandma. It's hard sometimes to appreciate the people around us until they're gone. And it's so powerful to get people's stories while they're still able to share them!
Chapter 7: "But no one told me that as the years went on, I'd actually be in charge of raising him. I would be a teen mom and a virgin. Arguably, the world's most depressing combination."
She is referring to her little brother Kia. Her older sister Samira had gone off to college and her parents worked long hours at their business. I'm so glad I didn't have that kind of responsibility as a youngest child!
Chapter 9: "I grew up among nineteen first cousins, and they each played a pivotal role in my childhood and teen years."
I did not grow up with my cousins. I'm amazed at how much other people's lives have been powerful impacted by relationships with their cousins. I just can't relate to that.
Chapter 10: "Iranians kind of have no shame. We're instantly bonded by our histories and our willingness to ask strangers for ridiculous favors."
I loved how she shared cultural insights in talking about her family and her culture.
Chapter 13: "My dad even tried to impress him by telling him that my parents had seen Ozzy Osbourne in concert. . . . 'He was onstage with all his brothers and sisters.' 'Those were the Osmonds!' my mom corrected. Despite my dad confusing Donny Osmond for Ozzy Osbourne, he and Slash were still able to bond . . . "
Oh my! She can be awfully funny in sharing her stories!
Chapter 14: "I was sick to death of visits to the INS that required standing in lines that made the DMV look like a spa day. Just renewing my employment authorization card required waiting outside at 6:00 a.m. for the doors to open three hours later."
There are so many things in this life that I simply have not had to deal with! I need to be more thankful on a daily basis for how incredibly blessed I am.
Chapter 15: "I'm not sure what I expected, but this wasn't it. As I made the long walk from my car to the entrance of the building that normally housed the county fair, I moved past vendors selling hot dogs, American flags, and T-shirts. It was like we were being welcomed into the country by capitalism and obesity. I decided not to shell out any of my hard-earned cash on cheap memorabilia . . . though celebrating with transfat was tempting."
Again, her sense of humor but also her honesty shine through. After spending the majority of her life in America, finally getting to the citizenship ceremony was not at all what she expected or wanted. This book is worth reading. Some sections seemed a bit edgy, but genuine. Teens are curious about alcohol, marijuana, sex . . . and one of her older cousins seemed to like to help Sara learn about some of these things!
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