The book I decided to pick from the library shelf was American Street by Ibi Zoboi. It told of a teenage girl, Fabiola, who moved to Detroit from Haiti. She experiences her mother’s detainment in the US, while trying to adjust to the new ways of life in Detroit with her aunt and cousins. Through her time, she finds love and family, forcing her to make tough decisions as opportunities arise. With these new experiences in her new home, Fabiola changes from an innocent, naive Haitian girl. I picked this book because it challenged my perspective of what other teenagers’ lives are like. Fabiola and her cousins lived in Detroit, a city much more dangerous and violent than my own. This, as a result, changed the way the teenagers lived their lives, such as keeping a gun in the house. In addition, the family in the book was a different race than I, so I noticed the racism that they faced. For example, how unfairly the police treated the people in Fabiola’s neighborhood. Also, this book broadened my cultural views. The Haitian religion Fabiola believed in, was much different than any religion I participate in or have learned about. In addition, this book challenged the family setting that I know. In the story, Fabiola’s mother was being detained because she wasn’t a U.S. citizen. I never have to worry about my family being split up or being taken away. The book meets this reading without walls guidelines because, although it is about a teenager, her life and culture is completely different than mine. The bad situations that come upon her are much worse than I can even imagine. From reading this book, I have begun to understand what it’s like living in a dangerous place. Since the story was told from Fabiola’s first-person account, I began to understand what she was feeling as she encountered danger and hardships in her life. I also took, from the book, how difficult it is for an outsider to live in a different world, as seen when Fabiola moved to Detroit from Haiti. Right from the beginning, Fabiola felt alien to her new world. “Is she[Fabiola’s mom] being detained? I stare and blink and shake my head. I search my brain for this word, trying to find the Creole word for it.” Though her life is unlike mine, after reading the book, I could still find ways to relate to Fabiola and her family. Through all of her loss, she still had the love from her cousins and aunt. Fabiola having to experience all of the danger of Detroit made me feel very sympathetic for the people who are stuck in those areas. Also, it made me realize how easy it would be to take up bad habits in order to protect family. Fabiola beginning her new life in Detroit as an innocent Haitian girl and growing to be one of the Four Bees showed me that people can change through experiences, time, and people. Finally, the “real” language that the author used really helped me see that, although their lives are different from my own, those lives still exist and need to be recognized. By Morgan
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I read the book, How Dare the Sun Rise, by Sandra Uwiringiyimana. This book explains Sandra’s childhood experiences with war, being a refugee, living in poverty, being an immigrant, and working to make a better world. She grew up in Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, and when she was ten years old her family was forced to go to a refugee camp in Burundi. Soon after they arrived in the refugee camp there was a massacre where her younger sister died, along with many friends and family. Sandra’s family then went to Rwanda where they lived in extreme poverty for the whole time they were there. The United Nations eventually gives them an opportunity to move to the United States, where they think they will have a much better life. They move to Rochester, New York, and although they live in a safer place than before, they have to work very hard to make money, communicate with people, and become citizens. Sandra eventually graduates high school, goes to college, and works to make a better community for people like her. However, in the end she is still haunted by memories of the massacre, refugee camp, and all of the war she lived through as a child. This book was about a person whose life was very different from mine. Sandra’s childhood was full of war and conflict. She hardly had a single year of school that wasn’t interrupted by a war, she lived in poverty for many years, and once she got to the United States she and her family were continually misunderstood. In the book she says, “People sometimes say to me, ‘Oh, you’re so lucky.’ When people say that, I kind of want to punch them in the face. Just because you resettle people doesn’t mean that their lives are suddenly perfect. I lost my little sister in a massacre, fell into the depths of poverty, and fled my homeland. All that, to get to America.” This helped me understand that you can’t just assume what someone thinks or feels about a situation. It also made me realize that immigrants don’t always have a perfect life just because they moved somewhere new. I have never experienced anything she did, or anything even close, but this book helped me to be more empathetic to people who have. Before reading this book, I didn’t have a negative opinion towards immigrants or refugees, but I also didn’t know any specific stories of real people who had those experiences. In this book, Sandra talked about not wanting to be seen as a statistic, or just part of a group of people who are only seen as refugees. Reading this book impacted how I think of refugees, because it made me see them more as people with real lives and personalities. I realized that not everyone who moves to the United States wants to, and may not even have a positive experience here. They also have an entire life that they are leaving behind in their home country, and even if it was a life of poverty or war, they still have connections to that place. I chose to read this book because I knew that I would be reading about someone whose experiences in childhood were extremely different from mine. Reading this book helped me see some of those things from a different perspective, and not just assume that everyone who is living in a poor country has a better life when they come to the United States. I think that this book helped me see the issue of immigration and refugees from a more broad point of view, and it helped me realize that it is important to think about others and realize that everyone has different opinions, and sees things differently through what they have experienced. Meredith T. Everyone at one point feels it necessarily to make some type of change in their life, whether it’s moving cities, deep cleaning your room, or dying your hair a vibrant color, change is a necessity and also can make someone feel an array of emotions. Sometimes the change that occurs wasn’t planned, or is someone's worst fear, brought into reality. This is especially true for Julia, after her sister dies in a terrible accident, she’s unable to sleep in her own room. So she often finds herself sneaking into her sisters room long after her parents have fallen asleep. Hoping that maybe this would make her feel closer to her sister, Olga. When looking through her sisters stuff Julia finds something, so unlike her sister. She wonders if she ever really knew her, or if her sister was a complete stranger. This new discovery leads her to wanting to find out more about her sisters double life. “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” was written by Erika L. Sånchez. Its Julias junior year of high school, she’s figuring out what she wants for her career, while constantly arguing with her mother. She mostly just wants a major change in her life, she wants to be independent and able to make her own decisions. Her mother wants the opposite, she’s lead a hard life after crossing the Mexico border into America and she wants Julia to have a better life. Julia leads a pretty normal and calm life, until the day her sister gets hit by a truck while crossing the road. Everyone in her family is devastated, and Julia has lost her closest family member. While trying to find out more about her sister's life, she goes through major changes, maybe ones she didn’t want. I picked this book because even though Julia and I look drastically different and are probably polar opposites when it comes to personalty we still are quite a lot a like. We both have a love for reading and english, but Julia is very outspoken, while I often come off as timid. I think that it also meets the requirements when it comes to how we live, Julia lives in a large city, Chicago to be exact. She regularly ventures to old bookstores and coffee shops. Sometime that can be done in Decorah, but is usually unlikely for me. I learned through reading this book that bad things will always happen to you, it’s unstoppable, but what truly makes a person strong is what they do to overcome adversity and their challenges in life. “Everything changes, for better or for worse, whether we like it or not. Sometimes it’s beautiful, and sometimes it fills us with terror,” (Sånchez 336). By Chloe J. Americanized: Rebel without a Green Card is a memoir written by Sara Saedi about her teenage years growing up as an illegal immigrant in the United States. After her family migrated from Iran in hopes of getting green cards, they get stuck in a decades-long waiting process, and have to continue their normal life in constant fear of being deported. However, being an Iranian immigrant does not stop Saedi from experiencing the everyday-drama of being a teen in America. She crushes on boys, deals with acne, goes to Prom, and has quarrels with her parents. I think that Saedi symbolically sums up the book with this quote: “Iran is not pronounced i-RAN; its pronounced e-RON. Tell all your friends. On behalf of my fellow Iranians (e-RON-ians), we thank you” (Saedi 9). Saedi sprinkles educational material about Iran throughout the book, by addressing some stereotypes about Iranians. However, she does this in a somewhat sarcastic/entertaining tone, so readers don’t feel like they are reading an encyclopedia. I picked up Americanized: Rebel without a Green Card because I thought that the book was going to involve someone going through a completely different experience than me; Sara Saedi had to go through many things that I don’t have to experience. Saedi spends a lot of time writing about high school experiences, such as going to prom or having a boyfriend, that most American-born kids take for granted. Her parents, growing up in Iran, didn’t have these opportunities because of certain laws that prevented gatherings of both genders. Her mother and father also had an arranged marriage, which is something that seems so wrong in America, but is commonplace in Iran. Because of the experiences Saedi’s parents had, she cherishes every moment. She also describes something called “Immigrant Child Guilt Complex.” This is a term for what goes through the mind of immigrant children when they blame themselves for the sacrifices their parents make during immigration. Saedi feels she is responsible for the economic hardships her parents go through, and the stressful process of trying to get green cards. I am lucky to not have this kind of stress go through my mind on a daily basis, but it was really helpful to learn that it exists, so that I can be more empathetic to people who may struggle with similar situations. The most important message I took away from this book is that though we may have many different backgrounds, we all are human. We all go through good and bad experiences, and we all laugh and cry at times. Though Saedi is an Iranian-immigrant, which both come with different baggage than being American-born, I have things in common with her. I love my sister as she loves her siblings, even if both of us have gotten into fights with them before. We’ve both had to deal with lost loved-ones, and had to move to a new house, even though we loved our old one. Even though she has a completely different life than I do, I was able to understand her struggles and conflicts through her way of writing, which kept me engaged while other books have failed to do so. By making the book somewhat informative about Iranian culture and immigration policies, I felt like there was factual and emotional thoughts that I was able to take out of the book. By Noah L. Sometimes all it takes is one short moment to turn your whole world upside down. I read the book In the Country We Love, where one woman, the author Diane Guerrero, faces the struggle of having her parents detained and deported back to their home country one day when she was at school. This was the short moment that changed her forever. Being a United States citizen, she was able to stay in America to continue her life, overcoming problems with immigration laws to become a well known actor. Although she is now a famous actor, she shares real life flashbacks to portray real life. She knows that this will shock many people who know her for her acting, and sure enough after reading this, my eyes are opened to a different side of her fame. Guerrero's story has surprised me immensely. I watch her act on Jane the Virgin, and I had no idea that she has struggled greatly during her childhood years This reminds me that even though we think of actors as “above us”, they are really just humans and in this case have even more struggles than most of us. Diane’s struggle includes living most of her life without any family, because of devastating immigration laws that forced her undocumented parents from this country. She was left alone, with no one to guide her. Many children and families experience this, and their stories go on heard. I noticed that the world has a hard time focusing and giving their attention to these helpless children. Reading this book, has made me more aware and has changed my thinking of the stereotypical “perfect” actor, making me more aware of real life struggles, especially immigration problems. My heart now has a soft spot for all the children and families that have been torn apart. Hearing a primary view of this situation makes me more humble. I now can partly understand how the thousands of people affected by the harsh United States immigration laws feel. I learned that even though it is not easy to realize, I am blessed with the chance to grow up and learn from and with my parents. I take my parents for granted a lot of the time, and Guerrero’s story emphasises that I, along with most others, are extremely blessed to have supportive and involved parents. There are many problems in this world that go silent but Immigration problems made its voice heard in my head. This book has changed me greatly because I now realize that “One moment—that's all it takes for your entire world to split apart” (Guerrero 1). By Ava H. Imagine having your entire family divided and not even knowing it. In the novel Homegoing, the story traces three hundred years of a family in Ghana and a family in America. It starts out with two half sisters, Effia and Esi, who are born into different villages. It follows each of their families through life. Effia marries a white slave trader, and has a son. Esi is put into the slave trade and comes to America in a slave ship. The story goes on through each of the generations and describes all the adventures and struggles throughout each person’s life. The author is trying to get you to understand the differences between African’s life in Ghana and African-American lives in America. This book wasn’t that challenging to read, but you do have to think critically about all the situations each character finds themselves in to truly understand all the concepts in the book. I find it really interesting how each person’s life is affected by their ancestor's life, and almost everyone in the family has some sort of “bad luck”. Nothing ever seems to end the way you expect it, and everything leads into the next event. I also noticed as you read, you feel connected to each character, even if you have nothing in common with them. It’s really interesting how the author adds contrast in the book by comparing both sides of the family without directly stating the differences. She also criticizes the slave trade by saying it was an act of weakness. Through each character she shows how wrong slavery was and how it affected everyone. This book made me very interested in my own family history on my dad’s side, and I actually had my dad take a DNA test to find out more about his ancestors and where they are from. We haven’t got the results yet, but I really want to find out if any of my ancestors lived in some of the same places as the characters in the book. I want to know if any of my family may have even had some of the same experiences as the characters. This book has also taught me that my actions don’t only affect myself, but also affect others; I should make choices based on how I think as it will determine my future life and my future family’s life. I honestly can say that after reading this book, I am more conscious of all of my actions and I am more mindful when it comes to decision making. I don’t only think about how my actions would affect myself, but how it will affect others around me. “You want to know what weakness is? Weakness is treating someone as though they belong to you. Strength is knowing that everyone belongs to themselves” (Gyasi 242). By Nia W. “But then I realize that everyone is climbing their own mountain here in America. They are tall and mighty and they live in the hearts and everyday lives of the people.” (Zoboi 324). To me, this quote by the author of American Street, gives a great overview of what the book is about. I think that the author is trying to tell everyone that people’s histories can have a very large impact on who have have become now. Also, once you learn where they came from, you can begin to get a deeper understanding on who they are now. Once Fabiola leaves her homeland, Haiti, and finally gets into America, her mother is detained at the airport. Fabiola has to move in with her extended family she’s never met, when all she really wants is to live a good life in America with her mother. As she navigates her way into a new country and a new life, Fabiola will do just about anything to get her mother back, even if it means betraying her new family. Throughout the novel, she tries to find a way to be true to herself and the loved ones around her. The majority of the story was told from Fabiola’s point of view while some chapters were other characters background stories. Throughout the story, something that surprised me a lot was when the author made one of the main characters get shot and die. Kasim, who was one of the most important people in Fabiola’s life died. It was such a shock that all my emotions were crazy. It was an important part of what made me want to keep reading. Most of the books I’ve read don’t let main characters die. It was really bold of the author to do that. Also, the reason that Kasim died was because of Fabiola. She never intended Kasim to get hurt, but by doing this, she betrayed all of her cousin’s trust as well. While I was reading the beginning half of the story, I looked up to Fabiola, but after she made a choice which got Kasim killed, I was frustrated. After reading the novel, it helped me realize that everything I do and say can have a very large impact on those around me. Also, you have to think about how people were raised before you criticize their decisions. I think that the author’s overall message to the readers is that you have to accept those around you and learn from them. I learned that even the things I did when I was very young have impacted who I am now. That includes the decisions I make and my current passions. The novel shows that learning a person's history can lead to revelations on where their loyalties truly lie. By Britta S. It has been quoted that “No one believes in love at first sight until that special person comes along and steals your heart.” In The Sun is Also a Star, Natasha, one of the main characters, definitely does not believe in love at first sight. In this novel by Nicola Yoon, two very different people, Natasha and Daniel, run into each other one day on the street. Daniel, who believes strongly in fate and meant-to-be, feels that they are destined to be together and pursues Natasha. However, not only does Natasha have strong beliefs against such things as meant-to-be, her family is in the country illegally and her deportation is unavoidable. On top of that, she happens to be leaving that very day. Even though Natasha and Daniel have very different thoughts about life and love, and even though Daniel knows Natasha is going away, they manage to fall in love over the course of only one day. The incorporation of Natasha and Daniels’ juxtaposed philosophies challenged the way I think about relationships and how they are formed. Based on the events in the book, I think the author was trying to show that the basis for a relationship doesn’t necessarily have to be deep feelings, past experience, or even similar beliefs. Daniel knew from the moment he saw Natasha that he was going to love her. He knew from their first conversation that she was very different from him, but he didn’t let it stop him. Through reading their story, I was able to explore not only how the characters were different from me, but how they were different from each other. This kind of contrast can evidently advance the plot of the novel, as well as the love story that takes place in it. That not only proves a significant point about love, but gives me hope for society as well as for my own life. This book was an inspiration to me and I know that I have so many better understandings because I read it. To elaborate, when I read the last few chapters of the book, I was sitting in study hall listening to some of my favorite songs. As I read, each song seemed to go along perfectly with the events occurring in the story, and I had what I could only describe as a transformative experience. Natasha and Daniel’s love story made me feel as if anything is possible, and taught me that love exists in many different ways; it doesn’t matter how different two people are. Immediately prior to finishing it, I frantically typed about my newfound understanding: “It gave me a new goal, which is to make people feel the way books do. I want to make people feel complete, and understood, and like anything can happen because I love that feeling.” I was given a new sense of hope and a new outlook on the world. Also, while the ending of the story isn’t necessarily what you would predict, that’s what I love about it. It proves that a happy ending isn’t the only way to end a love story. The whole book pushed borders and all in all changed me as a person in several unique ways. “There’s a Japanese phrase that I like: koi no yokan. It doesn’t mean love at first sight. It’s closer to love at second sight. It’s the feeling when you meet someone that you’re going to fall in love with them. Maybe you don’t love them right away, but it’s inevitable that you will.” - Nicola Yoon, The Sun is Also a Star By Mya S. |
AuthorSTenth grade students at Decorah High School share how they're reading outside of their own experiences and how it has changed them. Categories
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