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Generation Zero: Reclaiming My Parents’ American Dream
Two pants. Two T-shirts. The socks and shoes he wore. His life savings of one thousand dollars. That is what Sukhvir brought to America at the age of twenty-three. Together, he and his wife started from nothing. They struggled in blue-collar jobs and poured their souls into two American-born children. They were Generation Zero.
For most of her life, Sabreet searched to find meaning in her family's immigration story. She read books about extraordinary immigrants' triumphs and everyday tales of hardship, but the stories of her family—and other Generation Zero families—often felt invisible.
If you're a first- or second-generation American, you know how hard it is to understand your reality. But you also know there is a great deal of beauty and strength to come from an immigrant family. Maybe your working-class family sacrificed. Maybe you've strived to accomplish your parents' abandoned dreams. Or maybe you're living a hyphenated identity, trying to make sense of the unique experiences that make you American. You are not alone.
For most of her life, Sabreet searched to find meaning in her family's immigration story. She read books about extraordinary immigrants' triumphs and everyday tales of hardship, but the stories of her family—and other Generation Zero families—often felt invisible.
If you're a first- or second-generation American, you know how hard it is to understand your reality. But you also know there is a great deal of beauty and strength to come from an immigrant family. Maybe your working-class family sacrificed. Maybe you've strived to accomplish your parents' abandoned dreams. Or maybe you're living a hyphenated identity, trying to make sense of the unique experiences that make you American. You are not alone.
- GenresNonfiction
274 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2020
3 people are currently reading
934 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 19, 2021
Generation Zero represents that even if your parents moved to America, they were stuck in Indian beliefs, affecting their children's lives. This book is a journey of Sabreet's parents and their American dreams and the course of a girl who has trouble finding her identity. The story will make you question Indian beliefs and traditions and help you build a sympathetic bond with the author. It is all about individual growth; with time, a person changes and becomes much more than we believe them to be, and Sabreet is a real-life example of it. Her story is exceptionally cordial to all Indians and Indian Americans out there. I would recommend this fast-paced memoir.
Read the detailed review here -https://www.bookscharming.com/2021/03...
Read the detailed review here -https://www.bookscharming.com/2021/03...
December 21, 2020
I am torn. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by an offshoot of the publisher in hopes that I would provide a (positive) Amazon review of the book. Sadly, I can't do that, but it pains me to ignore the book completely, because the author obviously worked hard and struggled to create this memoir. Published by a hybrid (vanity?) publishing company, one that provides coaching, editorial services and actual publishing, at what feels, to me, like exorbitant prices (vs. traditional self-publishing), I feel like the author was shortchanged. She should have been given much better developmental and editorial support to bring her tale to fruition.
This is really two stories in one. The first third of the book is the tale of two Punjabi immigrants from families who had suffered economic downturns in India, and their paths in life. The man makes a decision to better his life by working on a ship and eventually jumps ship (literally) to build a life in America, first undocumented, then working toward citizenship and building a life.
His wife through an arranged marriage, far better educated than he, follows him and supports him. The book shares the narrative of being, not first generation American, but that "zero" generation that makes the transition and most of the sacrifices for a future family. As a self-enclosed tale, as are most immigration stories, it's compelling, especially with regard to how little economic and social support there was (and is) for immigrants, particularly those without economic resources.
The remaining two-thirds of the book is the story of the author, living as a first-generation American of South Asian background, torn between a strict upbringing as a daughter -- in a culture that does not value women's independence of thought or action, and one in which caste and class still have overriding meaning and control -- and the innate (as well as American cultural) imperatives to live one's own joy. It is a story that, depending on one's cultural background, may be seen as normal or as abusive.
The narrative filled me with anger, just as I have always experienced when (as an American woman) I read of anyone's experience that has lacked equity and self-determination. At the rare (and then dropped) references to her father's alcoholism, I cringed at how it impacted the narrator and her family. At the rampant sexism, starting with the father railing at having a firstborn child be a girl, I gritted my teeth. When her mother not only gave her daughter no information about reproductive health, such that at the turn of the 21st century, this girl thought she was dying when she started menstruating, I cursed. If the author is to be believed, her mother, a woman's holding an advanced degree and fought for her children to have better educations than their zip codes might have allowed, told a young adolescent that even speaking to a boy could impregnate her.
The majority of this book is a recounting of the author's respect for her parents' efforts to give their children a better life in America. Much of the latter half of the book reflects on the author's psychological distress at being made to feel like a failure in an impossible situation, and on expectations of being an American success but having to live by South Asian societal rules. The author's story is worth telling, but the last-minute happy ending feels forced, and lessons are not nuanced. In the end, the "lessons" of the book come down to "To thine own self be true," and "Give your hardworking immigrant parents some slack because they did the best they could."
Certainly, one can have a reasonable debate and arrive at the decision that cultures cannot be compared. One can debate whether the perceptions of the now-adult daughter are depressingly immature for a sociologist possessing and pursuing graduate degrees. But a memoir is, as much as one can depend on a reliable narrator, what it is.
Thus, I do not judge the book on the author's experiences and perceptions, nor her family's tale. I just warn prospective readers that if you, like I, have trouble with books where hewing to one's culture subverts someone's personal identity, this book may make you uncomfortable. If you have difficulty reading a book where you suspect the author has not adequately recovered from a lifetime of emotional abuse, this book may trouble you. It's impossible to judge a person's stories fairly, and while the narratives could have been better told/expressed, the stories themselves could earn four stars. Under any other circumstances, I would give the writing 2 stars.
This is where I believe the "publishing" company failed the author. The writing is not at the level one would expect for a published book. [Lest someone assume I'm judging the writing style by "American" language use standards, one should note that the author is American-born, attended American schools, holds a Bachelor's and a Master's, and is pursuing her doctorate, but the writing is at the level of a high school sophomore; it has clearly not gone through the repeated drafts one expects of a published book.] The breathy, and occasionally whiny, immaturity of the writing style is troubling.
Technically, there are errors that a decent editor should have caught. There are missing words, flawed phrasings, and mistakes throughout. Sentences read like, "Many people on his side of the family did not understand why my father was freedom to his daughter." (This does not mean that the father represented freedom; she seems to be saying that relatives didn't understand why the [26-year-old, college-educated, employed] daughter was allowed the freedom to marry as she wished.) Another error allowed: "...but they weren’t going to be here to ripe the fruits of the tree they had planted." Ripe the fruits? It's as if a first draft of this book was run through spellcheck and then published without any further editing.
The storytelling is moderately vivid (though characters other than the parents, such as her brother and her unnamed boyfriend/husband, are barely described and practically ghosts); the introspection and self-analysis is unpolished. A copy editor and a good developmental editor could have transformed what feels like a decent first draft.
I feel like a grinch even giving this honest opinion, especially about someone who obviously struggled in life with being made to feel like she wasn't good enough. As a writer, I know that every first (and tenth, and sometimes twentieth) draft is flawed, but that's where having good editorial support working with you, collaboratively, is key. The author deserved better.
This is really two stories in one. The first third of the book is the tale of two Punjabi immigrants from families who had suffered economic downturns in India, and their paths in life. The man makes a decision to better his life by working on a ship and eventually jumps ship (literally) to build a life in America, first undocumented, then working toward citizenship and building a life.
His wife through an arranged marriage, far better educated than he, follows him and supports him. The book shares the narrative of being, not first generation American, but that "zero" generation that makes the transition and most of the sacrifices for a future family. As a self-enclosed tale, as are most immigration stories, it's compelling, especially with regard to how little economic and social support there was (and is) for immigrants, particularly those without economic resources.
The remaining two-thirds of the book is the story of the author, living as a first-generation American of South Asian background, torn between a strict upbringing as a daughter -- in a culture that does not value women's independence of thought or action, and one in which caste and class still have overriding meaning and control -- and the innate (as well as American cultural) imperatives to live one's own joy. It is a story that, depending on one's cultural background, may be seen as normal or as abusive.
The narrative filled me with anger, just as I have always experienced when (as an American woman) I read of anyone's experience that has lacked equity and self-determination. At the rare (and then dropped) references to her father's alcoholism, I cringed at how it impacted the narrator and her family. At the rampant sexism, starting with the father railing at having a firstborn child be a girl, I gritted my teeth. When her mother not only gave her daughter no information about reproductive health, such that at the turn of the 21st century, this girl thought she was dying when she started menstruating, I cursed. If the author is to be believed, her mother, a woman's holding an advanced degree and fought for her children to have better educations than their zip codes might have allowed, told a young adolescent that even speaking to a boy could impregnate her.
The majority of this book is a recounting of the author's respect for her parents' efforts to give their children a better life in America. Much of the latter half of the book reflects on the author's psychological distress at being made to feel like a failure in an impossible situation, and on expectations of being an American success but having to live by South Asian societal rules. The author's story is worth telling, but the last-minute happy ending feels forced, and lessons are not nuanced. In the end, the "lessons" of the book come down to "To thine own self be true," and "Give your hardworking immigrant parents some slack because they did the best they could."
Certainly, one can have a reasonable debate and arrive at the decision that cultures cannot be compared. One can debate whether the perceptions of the now-adult daughter are depressingly immature for a sociologist possessing and pursuing graduate degrees. But a memoir is, as much as one can depend on a reliable narrator, what it is.
Thus, I do not judge the book on the author's experiences and perceptions, nor her family's tale. I just warn prospective readers that if you, like I, have trouble with books where hewing to one's culture subverts someone's personal identity, this book may make you uncomfortable. If you have difficulty reading a book where you suspect the author has not adequately recovered from a lifetime of emotional abuse, this book may trouble you. It's impossible to judge a person's stories fairly, and while the narratives could have been better told/expressed, the stories themselves could earn four stars. Under any other circumstances, I would give the writing 2 stars.
This is where I believe the "publishing" company failed the author. The writing is not at the level one would expect for a published book. [Lest someone assume I'm judging the writing style by "American" language use standards, one should note that the author is American-born, attended American schools, holds a Bachelor's and a Master's, and is pursuing her doctorate, but the writing is at the level of a high school sophomore; it has clearly not gone through the repeated drafts one expects of a published book.] The breathy, and occasionally whiny, immaturity of the writing style is troubling.
Technically, there are errors that a decent editor should have caught. There are missing words, flawed phrasings, and mistakes throughout. Sentences read like, "Many people on his side of the family did not understand why my father was freedom to his daughter." (This does not mean that the father represented freedom; she seems to be saying that relatives didn't understand why the [26-year-old, college-educated, employed] daughter was allowed the freedom to marry as she wished.) Another error allowed: "...but they weren’t going to be here to ripe the fruits of the tree they had planted." Ripe the fruits? It's as if a first draft of this book was run through spellcheck and then published without any further editing.
The storytelling is moderately vivid (though characters other than the parents, such as her brother and her unnamed boyfriend/husband, are barely described and practically ghosts); the introspection and self-analysis is unpolished. A copy editor and a good developmental editor could have transformed what feels like a decent first draft.
I feel like a grinch even giving this honest opinion, especially about someone who obviously struggled in life with being made to feel like she wasn't good enough. As a writer, I know that every first (and tenth, and sometimes twentieth) draft is flawed, but that's where having good editorial support working with you, collaboratively, is key. The author deserved better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2021
I was lucky to receive an ARC from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. I really loved Generation Zero. I think many of us can connect with Rajeev's experience growing up as a first generation American. Her reflections on her family life and relationships with her parents are so heartfelt. It takes a lot of strength to show the good and the bad. And her vulnerability in sharing her family's financial situation is a conversation I think the South Asian community as a whole needs to have. We are so excited for representation, and to see shows about big Indian weddings, but we are not all living the lush lifestyle portrayed in movies.
December 12, 2020
While no one book will ever be able to encompass the experiences of the South Asian diaspora, Generation Zero with its candidness and raw honesty will relate to many. The books centers on hope. Hope from the authors parents that their decision to risk everything and come to a foreign country will be worth it, and hope from the author that while she has grown into her identity as an Indian American, she hasn’t disappointed her parents and their dreams. This book was a very easy read and made me reflect on my own family and our experiences. I will be recommending this book to all my friends and family!
July 26, 2021
I was drawn in from the first page itself... it was a read that was not only relevant, but made you feel. Sabreet grapples with issues of identity, race, the model minority myth... what it's like to be a woman in the South Asian community... it felt like I was seeing myself in these pages much of the time. I was highlighting and annotating throughout its entirety. A truly beautiful read, I highly recommend it!
May 23, 2021
In "Generation Zero: Reclaiming My Parents' American Dream" Authoress Sabreet Kang Rajeev portrays the hardships she went though as a new American. Treated as an Indian girl by her parents and some others, she develops as an American girl/woman. Her life is different from those born here, who take being an American for granted!
December 9, 2020
Generation Zero explores the many challenges that come with being an immigrant and having to balance multiple identities. This book is beautifully written, thought-provoking, and inspiring.
December 9, 2020
An honest and brave sharing of experiences growing up in an immigrant family. Must read !
February 5, 2021
I annotate my books and this entire book was almost highlighted. So many amazing quotes that capture what it means to be a first- gen American.
March 20, 2021
Great book!
September 3, 2023
Generation Zero reads like a collection of vignettes and paints a picture of immigration, identity, and gender. Sabreet reflects on the immigrant experience through the lives of her parents; what its like going through teenage years between two cultures; understanding the stereotypical South Asian identity and dismantling the model minority myth; and shares the female experience of navigating through a culturally sexist ideology. I resonated with this story and it made me remember and connect with my own upbringing being a daughter of immigrant parents. Overall, I recommend this book if you like stories on the immigrant experience and growing up balancing two cultural identities.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews