I Was Their American Dream

“A portrait of growing up in America, and a portrait of family, that pulls off the feat of being both intimately specific and deeply universal at the same time. I adored this book.”—Jonny Sun, author and illustrator of everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too and New York Times bestselling illustrator of Gmorning, Gnight! by Lin-Manuel Miranda

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. 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'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. Malaka's story is a heartfelt tribute to the American immigrants who have invested their future in the promise of the American dream.

Advance praise for I Was Their American Dream

“Forthright and funny, Gharib fiercely claims her own American dream.” —Booklist

“This funny, charming book about cultures clashing in the world of a young girl reads like something Amelia would have written if she’d had parents as cool and interesting as Malaka’s. This book breaks boundaries!” —Marissa Moss, author and illustrator of Amelia’s Notebook

“Thoughtful and relatable, this touching account should be shared across generations.” —Library Journal

“This charming graphic memoir riffs on the joys and challenges of developing a unique ethnic identity.” —Publishers Weekly