A memoir that feels like it could be written by the girl next door. At times painfully ordinary, but I believe that was by design. The author is your typical teenage girl, worried about fashion, friends, and sibling rivalry. I could almost hear the gum popping and upward inflection while reading (perhaps she reminds me of some of my "ordinary" students). What sets this family apart is the fact that they have overstayed their visit to America by about a decade. They are working through the appropriate legal channels, finding them time consuming, cumbersome, and frustrating. Told from a very personal point of view, this story follows the typical teenage challenges as they occur alongside the long journey to a green card. I appreciate the historical context on why her family had to leave Iran, and the frustrations she feels toward the typical American view of Iran and its people. Recommend this for middle school to adult readers.

Note: I received this from netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ( )

Americanized: Rebel Without A Green Card by Sara Saedi is a true story following the author's life as a young teen finding out her family is in America illegally. Her family came to America from Iran when she was just a young toddler, so she was unaware of her family's status until things began unraveling when her sister applied for a job but had no social security number. Throughout the story, Sara struggles with the fear of her family's secret and deportation. She wants to be like her American friends, but the family's issues create invisible barriers. Sara struggles with typical teenage problems as well like acne and boy drama. In the end, Sarah eventually becomes a citizen becoming fully Americanized.

Any and every reader should read Americanized. Our country's past and present are filled with stories of immigration and hardship and every reader would benefit from hearing these stories firsthand from someone who has lived it.

For more information on Sara Saedi : https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/275989/sara-saedi/ ( )

teen/adult memoir (Iranian immigrant family works hard to get green cards plus typical American teen girl angst and quite a bit of humor). As others have noted, this probably relates better for an adult audience (people born circa 1980) but the author has smartly explained a lot of the concepts that would fall before the teen audience's time (such as what a Virgin Records store was, and who her favorite 90s celebs were, described in modern references). For Iranian teens that are already familiar with some of the ways that Americans can discriminate, reading a book that shares that perspective can be refreshing and encouraging.

Want more books starring Iranians in America? Check out Down and Across which features a boy who is, incidentally Persian/Iranian, and also (for middlegrade and younger) the humorous It Ain't So Awful, Falafel, and for adults Maman's Homesick Pie. ( )

Saedi came to American at the age of 2, and was considered an illegal alien. This story discusses what Iran is really like, and what it is like to be considered an illegal alien. Saedi found out that she was an illegal alien when her sister went to apply for a job, and was unable to.

Sara Saedi came to the US from Iran with her parents and older sister when she was two years old; she finally became an American citizen at age 26. In between, she had a Persian-inflected American childhood and adolescence over which the threat of deportation loomed. For those unfamiliar with the labyrinthine and incredibly long process of gaining citizenship, Saedi takes readers by the hand and explains it in a concise, breezy way, though she's careful not to lose sight of the fact that the consequences of her actions could have an outsize impact. Mostly, however, she concentrates on her relationships with her older sister Samira and younger brother ("accidental anchor baby") Kia, her parents, her cousins, her best friends, and the object of her unrequited love.

The book begins with a brief, painless-to-read history of Iran, followed by chapters separated by diary excerpts, FAQs, and stereotypes about immigrant (specifically Iranian) parents, most of which her parents did not fall into.

See also: The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri (adult), Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga (middle grade)

Quotes

Kind of ironic that today the United States would really love more democratic countries in the Middle East, and Iran was one, until the CIA got involved. (11)

But with every revolution comes the risk that the new regime will suck worse than the old one... (12)

As much as their parenting philosophy was "We trust you," it was also "You can trust us." (73)

ICGC: immigrant child guilt complex (80)

"It's always better to put yourself out there. Sometimes you'll hear no, but you'll never hear yes, either, unless you ask." (Maman to Sara, 228)

Immigrant kids often feel like their parents will never understand what it's like to be a teenager in the States. They'll never fully comprehend what it's like to bounce back and forth between two worlds and two cultures without offending either side. (228)

"Why would you even want to make things work with someone who says they don't love you?" (Maman to Sara, 239) ( )