American Like Me by America Ferrera - 1

I enjoy when people share stories on their upbringing, so when Professor Hansen gave a quick run down on the books we would be selecting from I chose American Like Me. On top of the intrigue that comes from story telling, I felt pulled by this book because I share similarities with the writers in the sense that I was also raised in between cultures. Aside from being raised in American, one side of my family is from Mexico, and the other side is from Ecuador. Ultimately, the strong connection I felt with the book was my reason for picking it up, and I was not let down. America Ferrera combines so many different cultures into one book and allows for a diverse group to share their voice.

Although I really enjoyed reading about all of the different stories on the experiences of living life between cultures, I resonated with Al Madrigal's story the most. Al Madrigal shared stories on his family's strategies to save every dime possible. The four lessons his dad shared were the following: prey on the new guy, show very little interest, get deep into the price then walk away, and have cash whenever possible. Madrigal's dad believed with these tricks you could get the best deal possible and walk away a winner. Madrigal grew up thinking that both he and his family were penny-pinchers, but, as he started to raise his own kid and pass down those generational lessons, his mindset completely shift. His family was resourceful not cheap. I enjoyed relating with the Madrigal's story and coming to that realization along with him.

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