Waking Up American: Coming of Age Biculturally

by Angela Jane Fountas (Editor)

Waking Up American includes original work by women who are either American-born of at least one foreign-born parent or who immigrated to the United States during childhood. The writers explore what it means to feel caught between two worlds—neither wholly American nor wholly a part of another heritage.  Cultures represented include the Philippines, Germany, India, Mexico, China, Iran, Nicaragua, Japan, Russia, and Panama, among others, and are often juxtaposed with a bicultural reality, having been raised by parents who simultaneously embrace and question American values. Essays trace themes of rebellion and conformity, pride and uncertainty, sexuality and sense of self, and a heightened awareness of what it means to be "other." These narratives examine the part cultural identity plays in creating strong, independent, hyphenated American women whose experiences are part of what makes the United States the intriguing cultural amalgamation that so many diverse peoples are proud to call home.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Cultural

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-reading book of essays from writers of a variety of backgrounds. Could use some of this in class.

[Dr Tanzeel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting this book to be written by a single author but it is a compilation of essays by different people.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good collection of essays on bicultural identities in the United States written by an impressive list of female intellectuals, writers, artists, and I believe there was one teacher in there. Yeah for teachers! Sometimes the writing was not top-notch, but the conversations that these women are having with themselves and with their readers are extremely important and raise essential questions about culture, identity, and what it means to be "American." In any collection of essays or stories, some are going to stand out more than others. My personal favorites were the essays by Lan Tran, Emiene Shija Wright, Laura Fokkena, and Melissa Secola. Personally, I am so happy that this book exists, and I applaud Angela Jane Fountas (the editor and one of the writers) for putting it together. I look forward to using these stories in my future high school literature and ESOL classes.

[Parallax]

Collection of essays on women who grew up with immigrant parents, or who immigrated to the USA when they were kids. The essays that stood out for me was "(Un)American" by Tumang, about a Philippino-American staying in Africa, where the Africans have trouble accepting it when she says she's Asian or American, let alone Asian-American, and the influence of the USA media outside of its' borders. "The Latina in Me" by Molinary, about reconciling both of her ethnic identities as American and Latina, and how fragmented it sometimes makes her feel. "Up the Mountain from Petionville: A Conversation between Two Haitian American Queer Women" by Andre and Barberousse-Nikolin comparing their lives, and touching upon the intersectionality of race/ethnicity, gender, and queerness.

There was other good stuff, like the comparisons between European and American culture; so often the USA immigration experience is racially coded as non-white.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book the other day while we were browsing in our local anarchist bookstore (how cool is it that we have a local leftist bookstore). After leafing through some of the essays inside, I decided to give it a try --- despite my annoyance at the editor's sometime incorrect use of the term "first generation American."

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of essays from women with mixed cultural backgrounds who grew up in the United States. Although I always tend to think of any American as an American, it was enlightening to know that's not how others see us, especially when our cultures fit outside whatever the mainstream considers the norm.

[Carrie]

essays