I Was Their American Dream

I Was Their American Dreamis at once acoming-of-age storyand a reminder of the thousands of immigrants who come to America in search for a better life for themselves and their children. 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. Malaka Gharib'striumphant graphic memoir bringsto life her teenage antics and illuminatesearnest questions about identity and culture, while providing thoughtful insight into the lives of modern immigrants and the generation of millennial children they raised. Malaka'sstory is a heartfelt tribute to the American immigrants who have invested their future in the promise of the American dream.