Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card

by Sara Saedi

Hardcover, 2018

Status

Available

Call number

305.89155

Genres

Biography & Memoir

Nonfiction

Publication

Knopf Books for Young Readers (2018), Edition: Illustrated, 288 pages

Description

Sociology. Geography. Humor (Nonfiction.) Young Adult Nonfiction. HTML:In development as a television series from Reese Witherspoon�s Hello Sunshine production company and ABC Studios! This hilarious, poignant and true story of one teen's experience growing up in America as an undocumented immigrant from the Middle East is an increasingly necessary read in today's divisive world. Perfect for fans of Mindy Kaling and Trevor Noah's books. �Very funny but never flippant, Saedi mixes �90s pop culture references, adolescent angst and Iranian history into an intimate, informative narrative.� �The New York Times At thirteen, bright-eyed, straight-A student Sara Saedi uncovered a terrible family secret: she was breaking the law simply by living in the United States. Only two years old when her parents fled Iran, she didn't learn of her undocumented status until her older sister wanted to apply for an after-school job, but couldn't because she didn't have a Social Security number. Fear of deportation kept Sara up at night, but it didn't keep her from being a teenager. She desperately wanted a green card, along with clear skin, her own car, and a boyfriend. Americanized follows Sara's progress toward getting her green card, but that's only a portion of her experiences as an Iranian-"American" teenager. From discovering that her parents secretly divorced to facilitate her mother's green card application to learning how to tame her unibrow, Sara pivots gracefully from the terrifying prospect that she might be kicked out of the country at any time to the almost-as-terrifying possibility that she might be the only one of her friends without a date to the prom. This moving, often hilarious story is for anyone who has ever shared either fear. FEATURED ON NPR'S FRESH AIR A NYPL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST OF THE BEST BOOK SELECTION A SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR FOUR STARRED REVIEWS! �A must-read, vitally important memoir. . . . Poignant and often LOL funny, Americanized is utterly of the moment.��Bustle �Read Saedi�s memoir to push out the poison.��Teen Vogue �A funny, poignant must read for the times we are living in today.��Pop Sugar.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member ewyatt

Sara Saedi tells her story of growing up in a loving Iranian family in California. She is shocked when she discovered she and the rest of her family are undocumented. Her voice is entertaining and at times snarky. She works hard to connect with contemporary teens, although this will probably date

the book for its audience sooner than later (ex. referring to her fandom of Winona Ryder and explaining her as the mom in Stranger Things - it is perfect now...but reliant on pop culture to stay relevant). This would be well-paired with the Caudill, It Ain't So Awful Falafel.

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LibraryThing member mjspear

Memoir of Iranian-American Sara Saedi growing up in Southern California as an undocumented immigrant. Tales of (sometimes wild) teenage life, mix with recountings of her family's attempts to gain legal citizenship and short primers on Iranian life and culture. A truthful and authentic voice, Sara

sometimes crosses the line, IMHO, in divulging details (do we really need to know why Iranians have watering cans in their bathrooms? or that her sister deliberately got her drunk as a "special" surprise?) Some teens may be titillated and even distracted by such recountings muting the overall message of fear and uncertainty of immigrant life.

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LibraryThing member MrsBond

A memoir that feels like it could be written by the girl next door. At times painfully ordinary, but I believe that was by design. The author is your typical teenage girl, worried about fashion, friends, and sibling rivalry. I could almost hear the gum popping and upward inflection while reading

(perhaps she reminds me of some of my "ordinary" students). What sets this family apart is the fact that they have overstayed their visit to America by about a decade. They are working through the appropriate legal channels, finding them time consuming, cumbersome, and frustrating. Told from a very personal point of view, this story follows the typical teenage challenges as they occur alongside the long journey to a green card. I appreciate the historical context on why her family had to leave Iran, and the frustrations she feels toward the typical American view of Iran and its people. Recommend this for middle school to adult readers.

Note: I received this from netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

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