American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood

A memoir of growing up as a child in both Peru and America. Culture is a powerful force, very much all or nothing, And for a child who is forming her own identity in the midst of the differences, I am sure that it was very confusing. While her immediate family framed the experience, it was all the other people who passed on the values. Well worth the read.

Marie Arana grew up in an intercultural family with a South American father born in Peru, and a North American mother. Her parents met in Boston, Massachusetts of all places. This all sounds exotic and fun, but it wasn't always easy for Arana to know how to fit in on either side of the cultural divide.
The very first sentence of American Chica sets the entire tone of Arana's memoir, "The corridors of my skull are haunted" (p 5). Indeed, Arana's family history hides ghosts and her story prods proverbial skeletons out of closets. I won't give away the details but there was one moment in Arana's story that had me holding my breath. She has a brush with impropriety that is tinged with the guilty question of did I bring this on myself? Is it show more somehow my fault? I could relate.The most poignant pieces of Arana's writing was when she was remembering her innocence; the times when prejudice didn't darken her childhood. show less

This memoir was filled with interesting stories, history, and poignant observations about the adventures and difficulties of having a mixed background. I was the first person in my family to be born in the U.S. Although both of my parents are from the same country, I identified greatly with the author's feeling of not belonging in either country, always an "other." In Colombia, I am a foreigner; in the U.S., I am a minority. I am too "Americanized" for my family, having adopted values of American culture: independence, belief in equality, and a non-traditional approach to gender, family, and marriage. I liked how the author tied things together in the final chapter, even though it seemed a bit rushed compared to other chapters. Overall, show more I think it's a good book for readers who have experienced being "outsiders" in one place or another. show less