Becoming American: Personal Essays By First Generation Immigrant Women

by Meri Nana-Ama Danquah

Now in paperback -- "A compelling collection . . . providing insights into the variety of immigrant experiences." --Publishers Weekly Take part in an extraordinary journey through the lives of 23 first-generation immigrant women as they uncover their own unique experiences in the new world. In this remarkable collection of original essays, these acclaimed writers speak to issues of identity, ethnicity, and race, as well as how the self begins to take on and absorb the label "American." Some of the contributors in Becoming American Nina Barragan -- Argentina; Lilianet Brintrup -- Chile; Veronica Chambers -- Panama; Judith Ortiz Cofer -- Puerto Rico; Edwidge Danticat -- Haiti; Gabrielle Donnelly -- England; Lynn Freed -- South Africa; Akuyoe Graham -- Ghana; Lucy Grealy -- Ireland; Suheir Hammad -- Jordan/Palestine; Ginu Kamani -- India; Nola Kambanda -- Burundi/Rwanda; Helen Kim -- Korea; Kyoko Mori -- Japan; Irina Reyn -- Russia; Joyce Zonana -- Egypt

Genres: Nonfiction, Anthologies, Biography Memoir

236 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[CTEP]

read Becoming American by Meri Nana-Ama Danquah. This book compiles essays from first generation immigrant woman. Each provides a unique perspective of the immigrant experience - the joys and the sorrows. Some essays focus on the positives of leaving a country to pursue opportunity, of seeking out a better education, of providing a more stable environment for future generations. Others reflect on the difficult hurdles and obstacles of being a first generation immigrant. This book provides a well-rounded glimpse into the immigrant experience. This book reminds me and helps me further understand that every immigrant has different experiences, different motives, different challenges. We need to be aware of this and remind ourselves of this to better serve immigrant participants. One of my favorite quotes of the book relating to the immigrant experience is: “The problem was of more existential proportions. It went something like this: If nobody knows me, who am I? If nothing is familiar, where am I? And, if I don’t want to be here, why am I?” I would recommend this book for anyone interested in the topic. It was an easy read.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took my time with this one because I was enjoying it so much. Each essay was so unique and different while circling similar questions of identity and belonging.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
A few essays were not engaging enough for me to finish them. Helen Kim's description of the black folks she grew up around turned my stomach. Read some old faves (Edwidge Danticat, Veronica Chambers) and discovered some voices I wasn't familiar with (Nelly Rosario & Belle Yang). Overall a great collection that I'd read (select essays from) again.

[Charles M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of essays by women writers, retelling their immigration experience and becmining American (either through citizenship or mindset).