“AportraitofgrowingupinAmerica,andaportraitoffamily,thatpullsoffthefeatofbeingbothintimatelyspecificanddeeplyuniversalatthesametime.Iadoredthisbook.“--JonnySun“[A]high-spiritedgraphicalmemoir...Gharib’swisdomaboutthepowerandlimitsofracialidentityisevidentinthewayshedraws.“--NPRWINNEROFTHEARABAMERICANBOOKAWARD-NAMEDONEOFTHEBESTBOOKSOFTHEYEARBYNPR-TheNewYorkPublicLibrary-KirkusReviewsIWasTheirAmericanDreamisatonceacoming-of-agestoryandareminderofthethousandsofimmigrantswhocometoAmericainsearchforabetterlifeforthemselvesandtheirchildren.Thedaughterofparentswithunfulfilleddreamsthemselves,Malakanavigatedherchildhoodchasingherparents’ideals,learningtocode-switchbetweenherfamily’sFilipinoandEgyptiancustoms,adaptingtowhiteculturetofitin,crushingonskaterboys,andtryingtounderstandthetensionbetweenholdingontoculturalvaluesandtryingtobeanall-Americankid.MalakaGharib’striumphantgraphicmemoirbringstolifeherteenageanticsandilluminatesearnestquestionsaboutidentityandculture,whileprovidingthoughtfulinsightintothelivesofmodernimmigrantsandthegenerationofmillennialchildrentheyraised.Malaka’sstoryisaheartfelttributetotheAmericanimmigrantswhohaveinvestedtheirfutureinthepromiseoftheAmericandream.PraiseforIWasTheirAmericanDream“Inthistimewhenimmigrationissuchahottopic,MalakaGharibputsanengaginghumanfaceontheissue....Thepushandpullfirst-generationkidsfeelisportrayedwithhumorandlove,especiallyhumor....Gharibpokesfunatalloftheculturesshelivesin,abletoseeeachofthemwithanoutsider’swryeye,whileappreciatingthemwithaninsider’scloseexperience....Thequestionof’Whatareyou?’hasneverbeenansweredwithsomuchcharm.“--MarissaMoss,NewYorkJournalofBooks“Forthrightandfunny,GharibfiercelyclaimsherownAmericandream.“--Booklist“Thoughtfulandrelatable,thistouchingaccountshouldbesharedacrossgenerations.“-LibraryJournal“Thischarminggraphicmemoirriffsonthejoysandchallengesofdevelopingauniqueethnicidentity.“-PublishersWeekly
