Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi
Hi, I am Sarah. I am fourteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by authors’ creations of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.
America: the country that’s a global melting pot of cultures and races and nationalities. But despite the diversity, not everyone feels welcome. Immigration processes are biased and time-consuming. Racist ideas and core values don’t always accept those coming to find a place in this country.
Sara Saedi grew up a bright-eyed straight-a student, complete with the normal teenage desires like clear skin and having her crush notice she was alive. Having immigrated from Iran to America with her family at the age of two, she didn’t learn of their undocumented status until she was thirteen. What followed was a decades-long process of receiving green cards and becoming American citizens. It was an agonizing wait intermittent with daily life in America, including sibling rivalries, familial hardships, school life, and friendship. Despite being technically illegal, Sara’s life was just like any other American’s.
Sara flawlessly weaves the terrifying prospect of being found and deported back to Iran and the almost equally terrifying possibility of being the only one of her clique to be without a date to prom using delightful humor and honesty. Integrated with family and cultural heritage and moral questions, Americanized is a poignant, hilarious memoir with a vitally important message: wherever you are, find the things that make you belong.
For Sara, that meant living as much of a normal life she could and keeping close the things she held dear – family, friends, and a sense of humor that shines throughout the book. If you’re looking for a short but honest memoir that opens up your eyes to the lives of undocumented immigrants, Americanized is the book for you.
