I Was Their American Dream:a Graphic Memoir

Description

“A portrait of growing up in America, and a portrait of family, that pulls off the feat of being both intimately specific and deeply universal at the same time. I adored this book.”—Jonny Sun

“[A] high-spirited graphical memoir . . . Gharib’s wisdom about the power and limits of racial identity is evident in the way she draws.”—NPR

WINNER OF THE ARAB AMERICAN BOOK AWARD • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • The New York Public Library • Kirkus Reviews

I Was Their American Dream is at once a coming-of-age story and a reminder of the thousands of immigrants who come to America in search for a better life for themselves and their children. The daughter of parents with unfulfilled dreams themselves, Malaka navigated her childhood chasing her parents' ideals, learning to code-switch between her family's Filipino and Egyptian customs, adapting to white culture to fit in, crushing on skater boys, and trying to understand the tension between holding onto cultural values and trying to be an all-American kid.

Malaka Gharib's triumphant graphic memoir brings to life her teenage antics and illuminates earnest questions about identity and culture, while providing thoughtful insight into the lives of modern immigrants and the generation of millennial children they raised. Malaka's story is a heartfelt tribute to the American immigrants who have invested their future in the promise of the American dream.

Praise for I Was Their American Dream

“In this time when immigration is such a hot topic, Malaka Gharib puts an engaging human face on the issue. . . . The push and pull first-generation kids feel is portrayed with humor and love, especially humor. . . . Gharib pokes fun at all of the cultures she lives in, able to see each of them with an outsider’s wry eye, while appreciating them with an insider’s close experience. . . . The question of ‘What are you?’ has never been answered with so much charm.”—Marissa Moss, New York Journal of Books

“Forthright and funny, Gharib fiercely claims her own American dream.”—Booklist

“Thoughtful and relatable, this touching account should be shared across generations.”– Library Journal

“This charming graphic memoir riffs on the joys and challenges of developing a unique ethnic identity.”– Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Malaka Gharib is a writer, journalist, and cartoonist. She is the author of I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir, winner of an Arab American Book Award and named one of the best books of the year by NPR, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, and the New York Public Library. By day, she works on NPR's science desk, covering the topic of global health and development. Her comics, zines, and writing have been published in NPR, Catapult, The Seventh Wave Magazine, The Nib, The Believer, and The New Yorker. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Darren, and her dog, Sheeboo.

ORDERS

DEMANDS

Popular Categories

All Categories

Fiction

Non Fiction

Fiction

Non Fiction

Popular Categories

All Categories

Art and Crafts

Stationery

Arts & Craft

Stationery

Description

About the Author

Bestsellers in Young Adults

About Us

Contact Us

Help

Social Media

Popular Categories

All Categories

Popular Categories

All Categories

Popular Categories

All Categories

Popular Categories

Fiction

Non Fiction

All Categories

Fiction

Non Fiction

Age Groups

Age 0-6 Categories

Age 7-12 Categories

Popular Categories

All Categories

All Categories

Popular Categories

All Categories

Popular Categories

Art and Crafts

Stationery

All Categories

Arts & Craft

Stationery

Puzzles

Toys

Games

Description

About the Author

Bestsellers in Young Adults