Who really belongs in America? That question has chased every newcomer and many native-born since the founding of the republic. In this heart-wrenching, vulnerable, and witty memoir, journalist Aarti Shahani digs deep inside herself and her family for an answer—one that she finds in an unlikely place.
The Shahanis came to Queens—from India, by way of Casablanca—in the 1980s. They were undocumented for a few years, and then, with the arrival of their green cards, they thought they'd made it. This memoir is the story of how they did, and didn't. Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares follows the lives of Aarti, the precocious scholarship kid at one of Manhattan's most elite prep schools, and her dad, the shopkeeper who mistakenly sells watches and calculators to the notorious Cali drug cartel. Together, the two represent the extremes that coexist in our country, even within a single family, and a truth about immigrants that gets lost in the headlines. It isn’t a matter of good or evil; it's complicated.
Title alpha Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares: A Memoir
Category Biography High Plus
Pages Count 256
Genre Nonfiction
Topics Aarti Namdev Shahani. India. Pakistan. India Partition, 1947. Asian Americans. Queens, New York. Family life. Undocumented immigrants. US justice system. Prisons. Biography and autobiography. Cultural heritage.
Trim Size 9 1/4" x 6"
JLG Span Winter
Language English
Rights type Print
Publication date 2019-09-30
JLG Release Date Dec 2019
Minimum grade 9
Maximum grade 12
Reading level High
Format Print
Biography High Plus (Grades 9 & Up)
Biography High Plus
Biography High Plus (Grades 9 & Up)
For Grades 9 & Up
This 14 book collections offers young adult readers fascinating biographies and compelling personal stories that provide a view into history or perspective on the issues of our times.
Crime: Punishment/Execution,Discrimination: Reference/Discussion,Discrimination: Religious,Discrimination: Sexism,Discrimination: Sexuality,Language: Moderate Language,Sexual Content: Contact Between Adult and Minor,Sexual Content: Mild Sexual Content/Themes,Violence: Gun Violence,Violence: Suicide,Violence: War/Harsh Realities of War