American Like Me:
Reflections on Life Between Cultures
America Ferrera

America Ferrera can write. Whatever you think of her performances in Real Women Have Curves or Ugly Betty, she is a storyteller. Feeling alone in her experience growing up as a minority in America, Ferrera took the opportunity to create a platform for her story—in addition to others—in an anthology that shares stories of immigrants, children of immigrants, and indigenous people with the purpose of being a resource to people in similar situations. Ferrera contributes her own story of her Honduran family and includes essays from famous and almost-famous public figures of all ethnicities who share personal stories of growing up in America.
 
Ferrera has provided the public with a service by compiling these stories and using her celebrity to amplify these voices. Together, this anthology makes for an important narrative of humanizing each other through storytelling during a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric is vitriolic and dangerous. The book also takes a look at identity and how being an American is much more nuanced than what is portrayed in popular culture.

Not all essays provide riveting anecdotes, but readers will be surprised to hear familiar parts of other’s stories and take joy in the differences. Activists, actors, singers, athletes, writers, and politicians contribute to make for a compelling read.
 
Notable Latino contributors include: Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Carmen Perez, Joaquin Castro, Wilmer Valderrama, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Diane Guerrero

America Ferrera is an award-winning actress, producer, director and activist. Ferrera is best known for her breakthrough role as Betty Suarez on ABC’s hit comedy, Ugly Betty, for which she won Golden Globe, Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, ALMA, and Imagen Awards. She speaks throughout the country as an advocate for human and civil rights.

American LIke Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures is publication by Gallery Books. Click here to purchase.

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Reviewed by
Harmony Trevino​
​2/6/2019

Harmony Trevino is a writer and voracious reader of books. She started her education in journalism, and ventured into nonprofit communications. Harmony eventually went to work at TOMS Shoes for five years supporting their philanthropy efforts. She currently resides in Tennessee.

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