I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib

Malaka’s story is a heartfelt tribute to the American immigrants who have invested their future in the promise of the American dream. Malaka Gharib’s triumphant graphic memoir brings to life her teenage antics and illuminates earnest questions about identity and culture, while providing thoughtful insight into the lives of modern immigrants and the generation of millennial children they raised.

The daughter of parents with unfulfilled dreams themselves, Malaka navigated her childhood chasing her parents’ ideals, learning to code-switch between her family’s Filipino and Egyptian customs, adapting to white culture to fit in, crushing on skater boys, and trying to understand the tension between holding onto cultural values and trying to be an all-American kid. and author Malaka Gharib about her award-winning graphic memoir, I Was Their American Dream, which explores themes related to the immigrant experience. Gharib is a current editor for NPR, focusing on global topics. I Was Their American Dream is at once a coming-of-age story and a reminder of the thousands of immigrants who come to America in search for a better life for themselves and their children. A graphic memoir about being half Filipino, half Egyptianand 100 American. The daughter of parents with unfulfilled dreams themselves, Malaka navigated her childhood chasing her parents ideals, learning to code-switch between her familys Filipino and Egyptian. Introduction: Malaka Gharib’s graphic memoir, I Was Their American Dream, details her life as a child of immigrants born in the United States, feelings of cultural disconnect, and the ways in which she has experienced herself in majority white spaces.

I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib