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Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American
This is just one of the many warm, lovely, and helpful tips that Wajahat Ali and other children of immigrants receive on a daily basis. Go back where, exactly? Fremont, California, where he grew up, but is now an unaffordable place to live? Or Pakistan, the country his parents left behind a half-century ago?
Growing up living the suburban American dream, young Wajahat devoured comic books (devoid of brown superheroes) and fielded well-intentioned advice from uncles and aunties. (“Become a doctor!”) He had turmeric stains under his fingernails, was accident-prone, suffered from OCD, and wore Husky pants, but he was as American as his neighbors, with roots all over the world. Then, while Ali was studying at University of California, Berkeley, 9/11 happened. Muslims replaced communists as America’s enemy #1, and he became an accidental spokesman and ambassador of all ordinary, unthreatening things Muslim-y.
Now a middle-aged dad, Ali has become one of the foremost and funniest public intellectuals in America. In Go Back to Where You Came From, he tackles the dangers of Islamophobia, white supremacy, and chocolate hummus, peppering personal stories with astute insights into national security, immigration, and pop culture. In this refreshingly bold, hopeful, and uproarious memoir, Ali offers indispensable lessons for cultivating a more compassionate, inclusive, and delicious America.
Growing up living the suburban American dream, young Wajahat devoured comic books (devoid of brown superheroes) and fielded well-intentioned advice from uncles and aunties. (“Become a doctor!”) He had turmeric stains under his fingernails, was accident-prone, suffered from OCD, and wore Husky pants, but he was as American as his neighbors, with roots all over the world. Then, while Ali was studying at University of California, Berkeley, 9/11 happened. Muslims replaced communists as America’s enemy #1, and he became an accidental spokesman and ambassador of all ordinary, unthreatening things Muslim-y.
Now a middle-aged dad, Ali has become one of the foremost and funniest public intellectuals in America. In Go Back to Where You Came From, he tackles the dangers of Islamophobia, white supremacy, and chocolate hummus, peppering personal stories with astute insights into national security, immigration, and pop culture. In this refreshingly bold, hopeful, and uproarious memoir, Ali offers indispensable lessons for cultivating a more compassionate, inclusive, and delicious America.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2022
373 people are currently reading
6441 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 389 reviews
August 6, 2022
OMG! This is my favorite book of 2022 and I highly recommend it.
I listened to it on audiobook and it is read by the author, Wajahat Ali. I highly recommend listening to the book rather than reading it. Wajahat has done a TED talk, been a successful playwright and director of The Domestic Crusaders, and is a writer, activist, and recovering attorney.
Wajahat's parents immigrated to the US in 1965 and he was born in CA in 1980. He describes he and his family's journey over 40 decades with humor and self-awareness interwoven with the harsh realities of being a person of color while trying to achieve the American dream.
He kicks off his book with actual hate emails that he receives. His responses are humorous, but it is along the lines of "I laugh to keep from crying" because there is so much hate and vitriol in the emails.
His father was almost deported when his father was studying in the US. The random act of kindness by a stranger prevented his father from being deported the following day. Other people who were involved in the situation did not offer to help and had racist views toward immigrants. Wajahat's father was approved for an "Einstein" visa which is typically given to immigrants with "extraordinary ability" and those who are highly acclaimed in their field, such as academic researchers, Pulitzer, Oscar and Olympic winners. It is the same type of visa that was granted to Melania Knauss (Trump) in 2001 when she was a Slovenian model dating Donald Trump.
Wajahat grew up with a "healthy" build which required him to wear Husky jeans with a Husky label on the back that was in "92 font and visible from outer space."
Wajahat is also left-handed and he humorously describes being a lefty in a "right supremacy" world.
One of Wajahat's aunts visited from Pakistan and became extremely concerned when she saw a Black man when they were getting gas at a gas station. When Wajahat asked her about her unwarranted concerns, she mentioned that in Pakistan the television information from America typically shows Blacks as criminals and people to be feared.
Wajahat also shares his perspective on the "model minority" that is often used to describe Asian/Pacific Islanders. He stated, "We don't rock the boat, we row the boat." Then he shares why that approach and perspective can be damaging.
While he was attending college, his parents were arrested as part of Operation Cyberstorm---the FBI and Microsoft partnered together to locate individuals who were suspected of selling and distributing counterfeit software, laundering money, and committing credit card fraud. Forty-seven people were arrested.
When his parents were arrested, the US government confiscated all property belonging to the family. Wajahat was in his 20's and had to figure out how to help his parents get an attorney, where he and his two grandmothers would live, how he would earn money to pay expenses, etc. It was a tremendous ordeal to handle. Many of their friends and people in their community turned on them.
After many years of investigation and legal appeals, 4 people of the 27 arrested were sentenced. His parents were sentenced to 5 years in jail and ordered to pay restitution of $20 million to Microsoft.
At age 30, Wajahat and his mom were sharing a bedroom in his uncle's home with a few boxes of belongings prior to the date when his mom reported to prison.
His book is filled with the peaks and valleys of life, but the peaks are more jagged and shorter and the valleys are deep, almost unnavigable troughs due to how immigrants and people of color are viewed and treated in America---even when children of immigrants are born in America and are American citizens.
Despite the various challenges he has faced, including his two-year old daughter's battle with stage 4 cancer, he is optimistic and creates a rallying call to invest in hope. He asks readers/listeners to imagine they have a bi-racial grandchild whom they love dearly. What would each reader/listener do differently to ensure their bi-racial grandchild was safe and able to reach their fullest potential.
This is one of the most memorable, poignant, humorous memoirs that I have read that bear testimony to the resilience of the human spirit.
Highly, highly recommend!
I listened to it on audiobook and it is read by the author, Wajahat Ali. I highly recommend listening to the book rather than reading it. Wajahat has done a TED talk, been a successful playwright and director of The Domestic Crusaders, and is a writer, activist, and recovering attorney.
Wajahat's parents immigrated to the US in 1965 and he was born in CA in 1980. He describes he and his family's journey over 40 decades with humor and self-awareness interwoven with the harsh realities of being a person of color while trying to achieve the American dream.
He kicks off his book with actual hate emails that he receives. His responses are humorous, but it is along the lines of "I laugh to keep from crying" because there is so much hate and vitriol in the emails.
His father was almost deported when his father was studying in the US. The random act of kindness by a stranger prevented his father from being deported the following day. Other people who were involved in the situation did not offer to help and had racist views toward immigrants. Wajahat's father was approved for an "Einstein" visa which is typically given to immigrants with "extraordinary ability" and those who are highly acclaimed in their field, such as academic researchers, Pulitzer, Oscar and Olympic winners. It is the same type of visa that was granted to Melania Knauss (Trump) in 2001 when she was a Slovenian model dating Donald Trump.
Wajahat grew up with a "healthy" build which required him to wear Husky jeans with a Husky label on the back that was in "92 font and visible from outer space."
Wajahat is also left-handed and he humorously describes being a lefty in a "right supremacy" world.
One of Wajahat's aunts visited from Pakistan and became extremely concerned when she saw a Black man when they were getting gas at a gas station. When Wajahat asked her about her unwarranted concerns, she mentioned that in Pakistan the television information from America typically shows Blacks as criminals and people to be feared.
Wajahat also shares his perspective on the "model minority" that is often used to describe Asian/Pacific Islanders. He stated, "We don't rock the boat, we row the boat." Then he shares why that approach and perspective can be damaging.
While he was attending college, his parents were arrested as part of Operation Cyberstorm---the FBI and Microsoft partnered together to locate individuals who were suspected of selling and distributing counterfeit software, laundering money, and committing credit card fraud. Forty-seven people were arrested.
When his parents were arrested, the US government confiscated all property belonging to the family. Wajahat was in his 20's and had to figure out how to help his parents get an attorney, where he and his two grandmothers would live, how he would earn money to pay expenses, etc. It was a tremendous ordeal to handle. Many of their friends and people in their community turned on them.
After many years of investigation and legal appeals, 4 people of the 27 arrested were sentenced. His parents were sentenced to 5 years in jail and ordered to pay restitution of $20 million to Microsoft.
At age 30, Wajahat and his mom were sharing a bedroom in his uncle's home with a few boxes of belongings prior to the date when his mom reported to prison.
His book is filled with the peaks and valleys of life, but the peaks are more jagged and shorter and the valleys are deep, almost unnavigable troughs due to how immigrants and people of color are viewed and treated in America---even when children of immigrants are born in America and are American citizens.
Despite the various challenges he has faced, including his two-year old daughter's battle with stage 4 cancer, he is optimistic and creates a rallying call to invest in hope. He asks readers/listeners to imagine they have a bi-racial grandchild whom they love dearly. What would each reader/listener do differently to ensure their bi-racial grandchild was safe and able to reach their fullest potential.
This is one of the most memorable, poignant, humorous memoirs that I have read that bear testimony to the resilience of the human spirit.
Highly, highly recommend!
January 17, 2022
Wajahat Ali’s Go Back to Where You Came From and Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American is an enormously readable punch in the gut. Ali is a gifted storyteller. He dissects his life and the world around him with a fine scalpel. He is funny, smarter than me, and can make me look at the ugly underbelly while I’m laughing until I’m not laughing anymore.
"As I told an earlier fan, I would love to move back to my ancestral land of the Bay Area, California, but only if you can help subsidize my rent."
Go Back to Where You Came From is a memoir in which he expertly weaves the personal and the political. Ali grew up in the Bay Area. His parents immigrated from Pakistan. He talks about his own experience, contextualizing it with the larger cultural and political landscape. When talking about the pursuit of Whiteness, he includes some history of US immigration policies and the trauma of British colonial rule. He was often the token brown kid, or the token Muslim, while also surrounded by a community Pakistani Americans. And when he finally gets to revel in being one of many in college, 9/11 happens and suddenly he is a spokes person for a whole group.
Racism flattens individuals and lumps people together, removing nuance. Ali adds the nuance back into the discourse. He shines a light on the texture and separates out the differences. It’s an emotional rollercoaster of a book. It starts with humor and ends with hope, and is full of wisdom and pop culture references. There is also rage, grief, and the exhaustion of fighting off the racism all around. I can’t possibly do justice to this book. It’s an experience you should go into with less information and an open heart.
Or as Wajahat Ali would say, “Invest in hope, but tie your camel first.”
Thank you to W.W. Norton and Company and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. My opinions are my own.
"As I told an earlier fan, I would love to move back to my ancestral land of the Bay Area, California, but only if you can help subsidize my rent."
Go Back to Where You Came From is a memoir in which he expertly weaves the personal and the political. Ali grew up in the Bay Area. His parents immigrated from Pakistan. He talks about his own experience, contextualizing it with the larger cultural and political landscape. When talking about the pursuit of Whiteness, he includes some history of US immigration policies and the trauma of British colonial rule. He was often the token brown kid, or the token Muslim, while also surrounded by a community Pakistani Americans. And when he finally gets to revel in being one of many in college, 9/11 happens and suddenly he is a spokes person for a whole group.
Racism flattens individuals and lumps people together, removing nuance. Ali adds the nuance back into the discourse. He shines a light on the texture and separates out the differences. It’s an emotional rollercoaster of a book. It starts with humor and ends with hope, and is full of wisdom and pop culture references. There is also rage, grief, and the exhaustion of fighting off the racism all around. I can’t possibly do justice to this book. It’s an experience you should go into with less information and an open heart.
Or as Wajahat Ali would say, “Invest in hope, but tie your camel first.”
Thank you to W.W. Norton and Company and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. My opinions are my own.
November 13, 2022
I had this book on my TBR and Library Hold list for MONTHS before it finally came available, which was both frustrating and really kind of awesome because it shows that people are interested in hearing what he has to say. Love it.
I honestly didn't realize that this was to be a memoir type of book. I mean, obviously I understood that Ali's personal experience and perspective would come into it, but as someone who has read more than a few books like this, I thought it would be more indictment of anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant and anti-white racism and how it manifests than memoir.
But I'm not disappointed. Despite my absolutely wanting to read this as soon as I saw the title, I live under a pretty impervious social media rock and knew very little about Wajahat Ali, and so learning more about him and his life and family and their curse and how all of their misfortunes befell them while ALSO dealing with the very real anti-Muslim sentiment post-9/11 was both interesting and heartbreaking.
I also kind of expected this to be funnier. Probably because the title reminded me of D.L. Hughley's How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice From White People. There were some really funny moments, but that wasn't the objective of this book.
That being said, I really really enjoyed this and my kindle had a TON of quotes that I didn't think to export before my library wanted their book back, and I don't really feel like tracking down how to do it without the book available to me. I know it's possible, but I'm lazy and behind on reviews, so suffice it to say that Ali is perceptive, and resilient in ways that NOBODY should ever have to be.
I definitely recommend this book.
I honestly didn't realize that this was to be a memoir type of book. I mean, obviously I understood that Ali's personal experience and perspective would come into it, but as someone who has read more than a few books like this, I thought it would be more indictment of anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant and anti-white racism and how it manifests than memoir.
But I'm not disappointed. Despite my absolutely wanting to read this as soon as I saw the title, I live under a pretty impervious social media rock and knew very little about Wajahat Ali, and so learning more about him and his life and family and their curse and how all of their misfortunes befell them while ALSO dealing with the very real anti-Muslim sentiment post-9/11 was both interesting and heartbreaking.
I also kind of expected this to be funnier. Probably because the title reminded me of D.L. Hughley's How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice From White People. There were some really funny moments, but that wasn't the objective of this book.
That being said, I really really enjoyed this and my kindle had a TON of quotes that I didn't think to export before my library wanted their book back, and I don't really feel like tracking down how to do it without the book available to me. I know it's possible, but I'm lazy and behind on reviews, so suffice it to say that Ali is perceptive, and resilient in ways that NOBODY should ever have to be.
I definitely recommend this book.
October 26, 2021
I really enjoyed this. Ali's journey is a tough one, and hard to look at, but he uses humor masterfully to make the bitter pill easier to swallow. This is therefore both heartbreaking and hilarious. Very well done.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy.
January 22, 2022
I remember watching Wajahat Ali as a guest either on CNN or MSNBC a couple of times and liked what he had to say but didn’t know anything else about him. Later on, I did follow his little daughter’s fight with liver cancer on his social media and it was heartbreaking to see his family deal with it all while also raising awareness about cancer, the treatment process and the expensive healthcare system in the country. So, when I saw this audiobook available as an arc on netgalley, I knew I had to pick it up.
Right from the first page, you know the one constant in this book is going to be the humor. He starts the book listing off some of the vile hate mail he has received, but narrates in such a dramatic style that you are horrified but can’t stop laughing either. And that kind of dichotomy persists throughout. He is adept at weaving the personal and political, connecting each aspect of his Pakistani-American life with the larger narrative about being from a brown Muslim immigrant family in America. He doesn’t shy away from talking about many tricky topics, especially the colorism, anti Blackness, fatphobia and repression of mental health issues in the overall South Asian community and how all this has deep personal as well as political implications for the everyone who is part of the community. Even though I grew up in India and he is a Pakistani-American and both of us have very different backgrounds, I found his growing up experience very relatable, especially with regards to the skin color and weight - I may live in the states now but the fat shaming and talks about my bad dark skin tone never stop. I also absolutely loved how liberal he is with the use of Urdu words and even the way he tells his story is all very very inherently desi and I was very engrossed throughout.
I don’t think I would have been able to finish this book without all his humor though. Because the author’s life hasn’t been easy. From being a relatively privileged and sheltered kid to multiple life threatening experiences, incarceration of his parents and being abandoned by many people he thought were family friends, multiple bankruptcies before turning 30 and coming of age as a young Muslim activist in the aftermath of 9/11, his life story is full of challenges and obstacles and this memoir is a tale of resilience in the face of adversities. It’s also a story of the deeply loving family and how they overcome all their troubles together, never losing hope, trying to use their experiences for the betterment of others.
Overall, this was a spectacularly narrated memoir by the author Wajahat himself who uses his signature humor, very dramatic but excellent storytelling skills and his amazing writing talents to tell a story which is at once personal and political, which is true for every single brown immigrant and Muslim person living the reality of America. The book may start with hate mail and get cynical in between at times, but he ends it with hope - hope he feels we need to invest in because despite feeling masochistic sometimes, hope is what we need if we ever want to truly fulfill what encompasses as the Amreekan dream. I would highly highly recommend the audiobook because I don’t think just reading it will give you the full experience of this book.
Right from the first page, you know the one constant in this book is going to be the humor. He starts the book listing off some of the vile hate mail he has received, but narrates in such a dramatic style that you are horrified but can’t stop laughing either. And that kind of dichotomy persists throughout. He is adept at weaving the personal and political, connecting each aspect of his Pakistani-American life with the larger narrative about being from a brown Muslim immigrant family in America. He doesn’t shy away from talking about many tricky topics, especially the colorism, anti Blackness, fatphobia and repression of mental health issues in the overall South Asian community and how all this has deep personal as well as political implications for the everyone who is part of the community. Even though I grew up in India and he is a Pakistani-American and both of us have very different backgrounds, I found his growing up experience very relatable, especially with regards to the skin color and weight - I may live in the states now but the fat shaming and talks about my bad dark skin tone never stop. I also absolutely loved how liberal he is with the use of Urdu words and even the way he tells his story is all very very inherently desi and I was very engrossed throughout.
I don’t think I would have been able to finish this book without all his humor though. Because the author’s life hasn’t been easy. From being a relatively privileged and sheltered kid to multiple life threatening experiences, incarceration of his parents and being abandoned by many people he thought were family friends, multiple bankruptcies before turning 30 and coming of age as a young Muslim activist in the aftermath of 9/11, his life story is full of challenges and obstacles and this memoir is a tale of resilience in the face of adversities. It’s also a story of the deeply loving family and how they overcome all their troubles together, never losing hope, trying to use their experiences for the betterment of others.
Overall, this was a spectacularly narrated memoir by the author Wajahat himself who uses his signature humor, very dramatic but excellent storytelling skills and his amazing writing talents to tell a story which is at once personal and political, which is true for every single brown immigrant and Muslim person living the reality of America. The book may start with hate mail and get cynical in between at times, but he ends it with hope - hope he feels we need to invest in because despite feeling masochistic sometimes, hope is what we need if we ever want to truly fulfill what encompasses as the Amreekan dream. I would highly highly recommend the audiobook because I don’t think just reading it will give you the full experience of this book.
November 27, 2021
This is a humorous, hard hitting, and unvarnished account by Wajahat Ali of what it’s like to be born, raised, and live in America as a son of immigrants, who are South Asian and Muslim. I very much enjoyed his humor and writing - funny, self deprecating at times, and no holds barred as he describes his experiences with his family, at school, within his local community, and the community at large. His humor was laugh out loud and I found myself reading pieces out to my sister - we could definitely relate to some of his accounts, e.g. paraphrasing here - Asian parents have two levels of operations: blunt and very blunt. We hooted with laughter - it was so on point! I like that he didn’t shy away from sharing parts about his parents’ challenges - it was sad that after all the hardships they overcame as immigrants, were successful in getting a great education, and became entrepreneurs, that they ended up making questionable choices, and ended up in prison. Hats off to the author for his resilience and drive in overcoming so many life challenges, including that of his young child’s major health issue, to power through, hold his own, and be successful in his own right. His accidental activism and his voice on the national front is made even more effective through the deployment of humor to inform, get people to stop and think, and get his points across. Overall this was a great read and I hope he writes another book in the near future. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
January 7, 2022
Go back to where you came from: and other helpful recommendations on how to become american by Wajahat Ali is a memoir about being the child of Pakistani immigrants who later established citizenship and the way he was treated by his peers and "white" americans, even though HE was born in America.
Mr. Ali sheds light on the hopes that immigrants have for themselves, their families and the futures of them all when first coming to/trying to come to America and then instead being met with stares of others who aren't accepting and who, even though some immigrants have established citizenship to be here in America some people STILL don't consider them American citizens.
He talks about the physical, financial and emotional tribulations that his family went through. I judged a book by it's cover when I entered the give away and I am not disappointed at all with this read! It was one that if I had the time, I could have read in one day. It kept my attention. I recommend that if you have an interest in this subject and the way that people of color (he touches on other races as "people of color" as well and how they often deal with the same things that he has) are treated. He didn't sugar coat and also gave some laughs along the way.
I usually read my books, then give them away for others to read BUT I really liked this one and it will be staying on my shelf.
Mr. Ali sheds light on the hopes that immigrants have for themselves, their families and the futures of them all when first coming to/trying to come to America and then instead being met with stares of others who aren't accepting and who, even though some immigrants have established citizenship to be here in America some people STILL don't consider them American citizens.
He talks about the physical, financial and emotional tribulations that his family went through. I judged a book by it's cover when I entered the give away and I am not disappointed at all with this read! It was one that if I had the time, I could have read in one day. It kept my attention. I recommend that if you have an interest in this subject and the way that people of color (he touches on other races as "people of color" as well and how they often deal with the same things that he has) are treated. He didn't sugar coat and also gave some laughs along the way.
I usually read my books, then give them away for others to read BUT I really liked this one and it will be staying on my shelf.
November 17, 2021
As someone who has been familiar with Wajahat's writings for over 15 years, I expected this book to be a sort of long-form version of one of his many articles. What I found instead was something that read like a novel or a film script. The observations, lessons, and prescriptions are there, of course - as the title would suggest - but they are embedded in an overall narrative arc that puts context around all of them.
It isn't enough to suggest to fellow Americans how they can best contribute to this ongoing experiment - we need to show why those suggestions are needed, how they are implemented, and most importantly showcase the very human elements behind all of this. "Go Back Where You Came From" does all this in a way that, frankly, I expect to see made into a major motion picture starring Riz Ahmed. And when that happens, I think we'll all learn how to be better Americans and have an enjoyable time learning how to do that.
It isn't enough to suggest to fellow Americans how they can best contribute to this ongoing experiment - we need to show why those suggestions are needed, how they are implemented, and most importantly showcase the very human elements behind all of this. "Go Back Where You Came From" does all this in a way that, frankly, I expect to see made into a major motion picture starring Riz Ahmed. And when that happens, I think we'll all learn how to be better Americans and have an enjoyable time learning how to do that.
May 4, 2022
DNF @28%
I thought this book was about immigration in the United States. Turns out it's a memoir, by Wajahat Ali, whom I'd not heard of until I cracked this book open.
If you're after the life story of Ali and his family, this would be a good read for you. If you're after a book about the immigrant experience in the US, you'll be disappointed. There is nothing here you wouldn't have heard elsewhere if you've been paying attention.
I thought this book was about immigration in the United States. Turns out it's a memoir, by Wajahat Ali, whom I'd not heard of until I cracked this book open.
If you're after the life story of Ali and his family, this would be a good read for you. If you're after a book about the immigrant experience in the US, you'll be disappointed. There is nothing here you wouldn't have heard elsewhere if you've been paying attention.
May 12, 2022
A book for those of us who are tired of reading about how hard life is for heterosexual white men in America.
January 31, 2023
A witty, thoughtful memoir by the Muslim comic and political commentator.
October 30, 2021
A top read of the year! Part memoir, part political commentary, Wajahat Ali's "Go Back to Where You Came From" is a stirring look at the American Dream, and the barriers around it, told with excellent humor and heart.
On its own, the book is a gripping memoir where Ali faces multiple near-death experiences, works through more than a decade of legal battles while his parents are incarcerated, and navigates life as the child of an immigrant family who walks the tightrope of cultural and societal expectations. His story alone would make a great book, but wait... there's more! With sincere and comical stylings, he also expertly speaks on the political landscape of "What it means to be an American (or Amreekan, as he playfully writes)?" and "WHO gets viewed as American?"
Following 9/11, Ali is thrown into the role of spokesperson and totem expert of Islam as the president of his college's Student Muslim Association. Hate mail from all over (thanks to his contact being listed on a school website) comes his way, while the school administration just wants to know if "they" (Muslim students) are planning any protesting. What happens instead is that the students are too busy providing safe walking services for Muslim female students and either cannot practice their prayers or do so in mosques who've been forced to hire armed guards because of increasing hate crime retaliations.
How have politics in our country changed in a post-9/11 world? Ali recounts the hopes and devastation of the Muslim vote as George W. Bush was at one point the most Islamic friendly president who spoke with numerous Muslim leaders, and then launched the war on terror. With Obama came hope, but due to the constant skepticism over his name and possible closeted faith (which was easily denied), his administration often over-reacted to situations that placed him near Muslim people or faith. And then, there was a Muslim ban.
For people of color in our country, there are very clear lines in the form of policy, opportunities, wealth, education, etc where we still have "us" vs "them" mentalities. Ali points these discrepancies out from the benign titles that introduce him as a "Muslim correspondent" even when he's not speaking on an inter-faith panel and we never introduce other anchors as "Christian correspondents" to the very real and devastating disparities of incarcerated populations which target people of color and often benefit white wealthy criminals who can pay their legal fees and bargain for lower sentencing.
The book is packed with critical examinations of our country, and yet it's often funny. He invites the reader to see the foolishness as well as the harm when we uphold racist systems. And by adding in his own story and the difficulties his family has faced, it makes it harder for reluctant readers to wave him off. He speaks a very real truth, and I'm so glad he shared it.
10 stars if I could give them. I could not put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
On its own, the book is a gripping memoir where Ali faces multiple near-death experiences, works through more than a decade of legal battles while his parents are incarcerated, and navigates life as the child of an immigrant family who walks the tightrope of cultural and societal expectations. His story alone would make a great book, but wait... there's more! With sincere and comical stylings, he also expertly speaks on the political landscape of "What it means to be an American (or Amreekan, as he playfully writes)?" and "WHO gets viewed as American?"
Following 9/11, Ali is thrown into the role of spokesperson and totem expert of Islam as the president of his college's Student Muslim Association. Hate mail from all over (thanks to his contact being listed on a school website) comes his way, while the school administration just wants to know if "they" (Muslim students) are planning any protesting. What happens instead is that the students are too busy providing safe walking services for Muslim female students and either cannot practice their prayers or do so in mosques who've been forced to hire armed guards because of increasing hate crime retaliations.
How have politics in our country changed in a post-9/11 world? Ali recounts the hopes and devastation of the Muslim vote as George W. Bush was at one point the most Islamic friendly president who spoke with numerous Muslim leaders, and then launched the war on terror. With Obama came hope, but due to the constant skepticism over his name and possible closeted faith (which was easily denied), his administration often over-reacted to situations that placed him near Muslim people or faith. And then, there was a Muslim ban.
For people of color in our country, there are very clear lines in the form of policy, opportunities, wealth, education, etc where we still have "us" vs "them" mentalities. Ali points these discrepancies out from the benign titles that introduce him as a "Muslim correspondent" even when he's not speaking on an inter-faith panel and we never introduce other anchors as "Christian correspondents" to the very real and devastating disparities of incarcerated populations which target people of color and often benefit white wealthy criminals who can pay their legal fees and bargain for lower sentencing.
The book is packed with critical examinations of our country, and yet it's often funny. He invites the reader to see the foolishness as well as the harm when we uphold racist systems. And by adding in his own story and the difficulties his family has faced, it makes it harder for reluctant readers to wave him off. He speaks a very real truth, and I'm so glad he shared it.
10 stars if I could give them. I could not put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2022
This was really enjoyable to listen to. I thought it was a great mix of humour and real talk, and the tone came through loud and clear on audio. I'm not sure if it would have been as good in paper format, as a lot of the humour involved little nuances in emphasis.
The timeline seemed a little bit jumpy in the second half but overall I'm happy with how it flowed.
Recommended for those who like listening to memoirs.
The timeline seemed a little bit jumpy in the second half but overall I'm happy with how it flowed.
Recommended for those who like listening to memoirs.
November 21, 2021
This book perfectly encapsulates the many trials and tribulations faced by Pakistani-Americans. If you want to understand us, read this book.
Ali accurately paints the Pakistani community in this book. In the secondf half of the book, as his parents are going through myriad legal troubles, Ali and his family turn to the community to get help. The same people who ate their food, came to ther parties, and accepted their presents begin disavowing the Ali family almost immediately. They come to events Ali holds to help raise money for his parents’ bail to have new fodder for their gossip. Ali’s family is the butt of jokes and snickers while they go through the worst periods of their lives. It’s this type of small mindedness and duplicitousness that caused me to dissociate from the majority of Pakistanis in my city. I’d never seen anyone call out this behavior so accurately and succinctly before, and I thank Mr. Ali for putting words to what I’ve felt for the past 30 plus years.
At its core, this book is a hero story, showing how Wajahat Ali and his beautiful family made their fortune, lost it all, and are now trying to rise again. I sincerely hope that they’re able to get all the way back. I recommend this book for everyone.
Ali accurately paints the Pakistani community in this book. In the secondf half of the book, as his parents are going through myriad legal troubles, Ali and his family turn to the community to get help. The same people who ate their food, came to ther parties, and accepted their presents begin disavowing the Ali family almost immediately. They come to events Ali holds to help raise money for his parents’ bail to have new fodder for their gossip. Ali’s family is the butt of jokes and snickers while they go through the worst periods of their lives. It’s this type of small mindedness and duplicitousness that caused me to dissociate from the majority of Pakistanis in my city. I’d never seen anyone call out this behavior so accurately and succinctly before, and I thank Mr. Ali for putting words to what I’ve felt for the past 30 plus years.
At its core, this book is a hero story, showing how Wajahat Ali and his beautiful family made their fortune, lost it all, and are now trying to rise again. I sincerely hope that they’re able to get all the way back. I recommend this book for everyone.
February 3, 2022
In Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American, Wajahat Ali recounts his experiences with racism as a Pakistani-American born in California. He did a great job balancing his personal experiences, the (lack of) cultural representation he saw growing up in pre-9/11 America and the representation in the media ever since, and the political.
I love that we got to hear Ali narrate his own book in the audiobook format. His wit and humor add some levity to what could have been a heavy, depressing book. I definitely recommend checking out this book in its audiobook format!
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
I love that we got to hear Ali narrate his own book in the audiobook format. His wit and humor add some levity to what could have been a heavy, depressing book. I definitely recommend checking out this book in its audiobook format!
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
October 12, 2022
I admire Wajahat Ali enormously, and I was really glad to see that he was publishing a book. I don't think of Ali as primarily a comedian -- I first encountered him as a podcast guest, and I do know that he prides himself (often appropriately) on being funny. But I didn't expect so much of this book to be comic routines translated into prose ... and I generally didn't find the translation very successful. The funny introduction cracked me up; the funny first few chapters were somewhat of a slog.
But then he gets to subjects about which he can't really be unrelentingly funny. As I had heard him recount on a webinar, in the 1990s his parents were unexpectedly arrested for federal money laundering crimes against Microsoft, and he was left in a dramatically untenable situation. Apparently, his immigrant parents ran some kind of technology business, where they believed they were following the rules as best they understood them, and they were not funneling nearly $2 million from the corporate giant. But these things are difficult to unravel and extremely hard to prove, and meanwhile the family went overnight from comfortably affluent to stone broke with two of its three members in jail. Rather than litigate the case, Ali describes what it was like for him, with no money, no experience, no resources, and very few friends because so much of their community believed the allegations. While he takes the opportunity for moments of humor in this story, it isn't a funny story and he tells it largely straight through its many twists and turns.
Far less funny is his 4-year-old daughter's diagnosis with Stage 4 liver cancer. Fortunately, I knew before I picked up the book that she got a transplant and is okay. Again, not a funny story, but one that Ali tells with grace, humility, and humanity.
I would never wish imprisoned parents, let alone life-threatening diseases in children, on anyone. Nonetheless, I came away feeling like the serious parts of the book were the better parts, and Ali serves himself better telling complex stories than making broad jokes.
But then he gets to subjects about which he can't really be unrelentingly funny. As I had heard him recount on a webinar, in the 1990s his parents were unexpectedly arrested for federal money laundering crimes against Microsoft, and he was left in a dramatically untenable situation. Apparently, his immigrant parents ran some kind of technology business, where they believed they were following the rules as best they understood them, and they were not funneling nearly $2 million from the corporate giant. But these things are difficult to unravel and extremely hard to prove, and meanwhile the family went overnight from comfortably affluent to stone broke with two of its three members in jail. Rather than litigate the case, Ali describes what it was like for him, with no money, no experience, no resources, and very few friends because so much of their community believed the allegations. While he takes the opportunity for moments of humor in this story, it isn't a funny story and he tells it largely straight through its many twists and turns.
Far less funny is his 4-year-old daughter's diagnosis with Stage 4 liver cancer. Fortunately, I knew before I picked up the book that she got a transplant and is okay. Again, not a funny story, but one that Ali tells with grace, humility, and humanity.
I would never wish imprisoned parents, let alone life-threatening diseases in children, on anyone. Nonetheless, I came away feeling like the serious parts of the book were the better parts, and Ali serves himself better telling complex stories than making broad jokes.
May 30, 2023
I thought it was going to be just a nice feel-good immigrant success story. I HAD NO IDEA what the author went through, and honestly, he could probably write at leat 3-4 books of different topics out of still not so old 40 years of his life so far.
If you don't know much about his life, do yourself a favor, do not look up Google, just go dive right into the book. His sense of humor and life lessons are glorious despite the hardships he has endured.
I will be telling myself to tie my camel from here on whenever I face difficulties.
I cannot recommend this book enough. One of the best books I have read this year so far.
If you don't know much about his life, do yourself a favor, do not look up Google, just go dive right into the book. His sense of humor and life lessons are glorious despite the hardships he has endured.
I will be telling myself to tie my camel from here on whenever I face difficulties.
I cannot recommend this book enough. One of the best books I have read this year so far.
April 29, 2022
If you expect this book to be a thorough examination of immigration and racism in America, you'd be wrong. I feel the title is a bit misleading, as the book is really just Mr. Ali's memoir, and I had never heard of Mr. Ali before coming across this book. Thanks to all the self-promotion in his book, now I know he wrote a play, he persevered as his parents were sentenced to prison for some sort of tax fraud, and he became a journalist and TV news pundent. While his story isn't particularly griping, and a lot of it is a snooze, his upbringing was interesting, as a first generation U.S. Pakistani with people always unsure of his actual race, or making gross misassumptions. Interesting to read his take on how America treats brown people as a group, regardless of their ethnicity or religion. It was heartbreaking but not eye-opening. If any reader pays just an ounce of attention on current events, there is nothing new to be learned in this book. It wasn't awful, but there was a bit too much humble-bragging and feigned self-depricating dialogue to win me over.
January 20, 2022
Wajahat Ali uses nuance, humor, and vulnerability to explore the push and pull of xenophobia and acceptance in America. As he states in this debut, “Everything is conditional in America, even the right to the American dream.” He expertly tackles the model minority myth, meaningful representation of Desi and Muslim people in media, homelessness, parental incarceration, colorism, and managing his personal and family’s mental and physical health. This book serves as a reminder of our common humanity and interconnectedness and encourages more people to tell their stories.
Books like this, that weave together humor, history, and personal narratives are my favorites to read and help me consider another perspective when looking at complex issues. An example of another book that does this is well and is also about being othered is How to Be Black by Baratunde R. Thurston.
Also highly recommend Ali’s New York Times essay, ‘How to Teach a Little Girl to Love Her Brown Skin’. His writing is affecting and relatable and necessary.
Big thank you to Wajahat Ali, RB Media/Recorded Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook, narrated by the author himself.
Books like this, that weave together humor, history, and personal narratives are my favorites to read and help me consider another perspective when looking at complex issues. An example of another book that does this is well and is also about being othered is How to Be Black by Baratunde R. Thurston.
Also highly recommend Ali’s New York Times essay, ‘How to Teach a Little Girl to Love Her Brown Skin’. His writing is affecting and relatable and necessary.
Big thank you to Wajahat Ali, RB Media/Recorded Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook, narrated by the author himself.
January 13, 2022
I always gravitate towards books written about other people’s experiences to assimilate and grow up as the first generation in the US and it’s amazing to find, despite different backgrounds, how similar our experiences are. It’s not easy to feel like you belong when you don’t look like everyone else. I was extremely lucky to attend an international school and was surrounded by many children going through the same thing I was. Wajahat Ali did not have the same luxury and it’s through his memories, often humorous, always honest and thought-provoking, that we see the experiences that shaped the man he is today. There are some difficult to hear passages but it’s definitely worth picking up for his take on the American dream.
I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2021
I knew this was going to be a smart, funny look at race relations in our country but what I didn't expect is the incredibly personal and emotional story that came with it. Wajahat Ali's book is able to simultaneously be an educational and emotional story.
It's funny, it's touching it's beautiful and quite frankly it needs to be read by everyone. It gives us pause but also gives us hope. I couldn't put this book down.
*I received an advanced edition in order to write this review.
It's funny, it's touching it's beautiful and quite frankly it needs to be read by everyone. It gives us pause but also gives us hope. I couldn't put this book down.
*I received an advanced edition in order to write this review.
March 14, 2022
Part memoir, part political commentary, part history lesson, this book follows Wajahat Ali through the many ups and countless downs of his young life so far. He's had more than his fair share of tragedies, and yet I laughed heartily throughout this memoir. I commend Ali for his fierce dedication to his family and for sharing his parents' immigrant story with the rest of us.
February 9, 2022
An entertaining writer with good reminders about what is important in life.
February 22, 2022
Really good. But…whew…raging passive-aggressive humor. What a life, though! Interesting and worth a read. Ali has great points, and I hope he finds peace.
October 3, 2024
I was vaguely familiar with Wajahat Ali as a political analyst, in the same league as Mehdi Hassan, but what I did not know or paid attention to was that he is Pakistani-American. This is an important detail because this is what he mostly writes about, his identity and how it fits into the melting pot that is America or “Amrika”.
I’m going to get the negatives out of the way first, his fangirling over Obama in the first chapter put me off. He does elaborate in later paragraphs that Obama was not the savior America thought him to be but did not mention anything about his as fascist foreign policies especially considering the fact he ordered thousands of drone attacks in Pakistan leading to many many civilian casualties.
However, once I was able to look past his political views, I was able to enjoy the book more. Starting from his early childhood when he spoke English in a desi accent to the “home movies” he filmed with his neighbors, it was all very endearing and relatable. I could tell by the way he talked about his family members how much he cares about them and the special relationships he shares with his numerous Dadis, Nanas, and etc.
Then came the college era and that was when 9/11 happened with the author finding himself on the MSA board and held answerable for the entire Muslim ummah. I was impressed with how they all handled the situation, creating awareness, having conversations and even protesting as hard-left radicals (where did all that anger go, Wajahat bhai?)
On top of that he had to deal with his parents arrest and litigation while trying to graduate with a bachelors degree. It was refreshing to read about someone being very blunt about their parents’ faults and I have to respect the hustle behind running their business, finishing school, TA-ing, and trying to make rent/pay their lawyers while the entire community turned their backs on the family.
All these experiences shaped him but I feel like once he was in the media spotlight, he, like many others, became a liberal Pakistani-American who will wear his ethnic identity with pride but only in a way that is acceptable to “people”. (This is more based on his most recent tweets about endorsing Harris and not so much on the book) So, congratulations Wajahat, you are indeed a real American!
I’m going to get the negatives out of the way first, his fangirling over Obama in the first chapter put me off. He does elaborate in later paragraphs that Obama was not the savior America thought him to be but did not mention anything about his as fascist foreign policies especially considering the fact he ordered thousands of drone attacks in Pakistan leading to many many civilian casualties.
However, once I was able to look past his political views, I was able to enjoy the book more. Starting from his early childhood when he spoke English in a desi accent to the “home movies” he filmed with his neighbors, it was all very endearing and relatable. I could tell by the way he talked about his family members how much he cares about them and the special relationships he shares with his numerous Dadis, Nanas, and etc.
Then came the college era and that was when 9/11 happened with the author finding himself on the MSA board and held answerable for the entire Muslim ummah. I was impressed with how they all handled the situation, creating awareness, having conversations and even protesting as hard-left radicals (where did all that anger go, Wajahat bhai?)
On top of that he had to deal with his parents arrest and litigation while trying to graduate with a bachelors degree. It was refreshing to read about someone being very blunt about their parents’ faults and I have to respect the hustle behind running their business, finishing school, TA-ing, and trying to make rent/pay their lawyers while the entire community turned their backs on the family.
All these experiences shaped him but I feel like once he was in the media spotlight, he, like many others, became a liberal Pakistani-American who will wear his ethnic identity with pride but only in a way that is acceptable to “people”. (This is more based on his most recent tweets about endorsing Harris and not so much on the book) So, congratulations Wajahat, you are indeed a real American!
October 7, 2022
4.5 stars. Saw a lot of reviews from folks who somehow missed this book is a MEMOIR and not another treatise on race. (Reading is fundamental people) so many of the 1-2 star reviews are from a crowd that seemingly can’t read.
Anyway, I did like this book. A lot of things re the treatment of Muslims after 9/11 I knew but kind of forgot and this was a nice reminder for me to know how amreeka (read the book to know what that means) treated lots of fellow Americans. Something that always comes up on 9/12 every year when people act like we were *truly* united after the terror attacks. (Newsflash, not so much)
Always a nice change to get different experiences and views on America’s sin of racism and not just seeing it as black and white. But also brown vs white. Christian vs any other religion, in particular Islam which has become the new boogeyman.
Additionally if you read this book as a ⚪️ person and your immediate thought is “not all white people” or not me / nor my ancestors, ask yourself why you are a hit dog in Mr. Ali’s story? Because you know what they say about hit dogs. . .
And again, when reading stories by black / brown people, hey ⚪️ folks what do you need to know about us (black and brown people) to navigate the world? And if you answer is “nothing” why is that? Since we *have* to know about you to have even the barest chance to survive.
Anyway, I did like this book. A lot of things re the treatment of Muslims after 9/11 I knew but kind of forgot and this was a nice reminder for me to know how amreeka (read the book to know what that means) treated lots of fellow Americans. Something that always comes up on 9/12 every year when people act like we were *truly* united after the terror attacks. (Newsflash, not so much)
Always a nice change to get different experiences and views on America’s sin of racism and not just seeing it as black and white. But also brown vs white. Christian vs any other religion, in particular Islam which has become the new boogeyman.
Additionally if you read this book as a ⚪️ person and your immediate thought is “not all white people” or not me / nor my ancestors, ask yourself why you are a hit dog in Mr. Ali’s story? Because you know what they say about hit dogs. . .
And again, when reading stories by black / brown people, hey ⚪️ folks what do you need to know about us (black and brown people) to navigate the world? And if you answer is “nothing” why is that? Since we *have* to know about you to have even the barest chance to survive.
July 12, 2025
Everything is conditional in America, even the right to the American dream.
That sentence right there pretty much encapsulates the U.S. government's sentimentality towards immigrants. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." is idealism. Top notch marketing in describing this country as a place of opportunity where you can achieve any dream you want if you just work hard enough, but here's the secret hidden in the tiny footnote (that no one ever reads): only if you are white and can fully assimilate.
Ali here says to hell with that. Immigrants have enriched American culture on this stolen land built by free slave labor. Immigration is very much a part of American culture both honoring the ideals of this country while maintaining the traditions of theirs. This memoir sheds light on Ali's Pakistani-American family's struggles in this country through humor and optimism. The levity adds so much hope to what could have been a very depressing read. It is truly admirable.
That sentence right there pretty much encapsulates the U.S. government's sentimentality towards immigrants. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." is idealism. Top notch marketing in describing this country as a place of opportunity where you can achieve any dream you want if you just work hard enough, but here's the secret hidden in the tiny footnote (that no one ever reads): only if you are white and can fully assimilate.
Ali here says to hell with that. Immigrants have enriched American culture on this stolen land built by free slave labor. Immigration is very much a part of American culture both honoring the ideals of this country while maintaining the traditions of theirs. This memoir sheds light on Ali's Pakistani-American family's struggles in this country through humor and optimism. The levity adds so much hope to what could have been a very depressing read. It is truly admirable.
February 7, 2022
Wajahat Ali is many things: a journalist, a playwright, a lawyer, a Muslim, a dad, a fantastic son (and an only child), and so much more. To say he’s been through the wringer is a bit of an understatement - Wajahat has faced a ton of struggles in his life.
And yet, this book is overwhelmingly funny, lighthearted, and inspiring. He’s found a way - if not at the time of these struggles, then now - to find humor in these situations, to get the reader to relate to his life, and to see the brightness at the end of the tunnel - to be grateful for the fact that he’s still here, and not take this life for granted.
He writes not only about his own life and tribulations, but about difficult issues of racism, Islamophobia, mental health, colonialism, and inequality. His life is interesting enough as it is - partially because of what he calls his family curse. Wajahat is the son of two Pakistani Muslim immigrants who came to the US in the late sixties to live their “Amreekan” dream. Wajahat was their only son, growing up relatively stable and well-off in Fremont, California. But he also grew up as a Muslim kid after 9/11, and experienced the fallout of America’s racism and xenophobia both firsthand and through his friends - he was a fat, nerdy brown boy who was bullied and isolated for a variety of reasons. Oh, and he had quite a few near death experiences as a kid, too.
As he got older, his struggles only increased. When he was in college, both his parents were arrested by the FBI for alleged piracy, a lawsuit brought on by Microsoft. Whether they were guilty or not, this started a ten-year-long saga of basically, the “Amreekan” nightmare for Wajahat - overnight, he went from a college student not sure what law school he should choose to needing to assume his family’s business, all the financial burdens of lawyers, mortgage, employees, etc., the care of his grandmothers, and almost-most devastatingly, the shame and attention of community gossip. For TEN YEARS. This experience alone gave him OCD, some form of PTSD, and probably a heart arrhythmia too.
I won’t even go in depth on some of the other highlights of this book - a whole chapter (and more) on the elusive maybe-myth of the Moderate Muslim, a childhood of being left handed and wearing husky pants, the saga of writing his play The Domestic Crusaders and turning it into reality, his wife and children, oh so much more. You’ll just have to read the book and enjoy his mostly poignant, but always funny, stories.
As an aside, one thing I loved about this book is his unwillingness to shy away from using his own language, sayings, terms, and nicknames to describe people and things. For example, when describing his family curse, he talks about and consistently refers back to the term nazar, or the evil eye. He calls one of his grandmothers his Dhadi - instead of just saying grandmother. He’s not trying to reshape his vocabulary for a white audience, he’s telling his story authentically, and educating his reader at the same time. It’s a little thing, but that stood out to me.
Overall, this was a book that will certainly give you a worthwhile perspective on many pressing issues of our time - but it’s also a fascinating, funny, and compelling memoir of a very interesting, resilient guy. Thank you to RB Media for the audio ARC via Netgalley!
And yet, this book is overwhelmingly funny, lighthearted, and inspiring. He’s found a way - if not at the time of these struggles, then now - to find humor in these situations, to get the reader to relate to his life, and to see the brightness at the end of the tunnel - to be grateful for the fact that he’s still here, and not take this life for granted.
He writes not only about his own life and tribulations, but about difficult issues of racism, Islamophobia, mental health, colonialism, and inequality. His life is interesting enough as it is - partially because of what he calls his family curse. Wajahat is the son of two Pakistani Muslim immigrants who came to the US in the late sixties to live their “Amreekan” dream. Wajahat was their only son, growing up relatively stable and well-off in Fremont, California. But he also grew up as a Muslim kid after 9/11, and experienced the fallout of America’s racism and xenophobia both firsthand and through his friends - he was a fat, nerdy brown boy who was bullied and isolated for a variety of reasons. Oh, and he had quite a few near death experiences as a kid, too.
As he got older, his struggles only increased. When he was in college, both his parents were arrested by the FBI for alleged piracy, a lawsuit brought on by Microsoft. Whether they were guilty or not, this started a ten-year-long saga of basically, the “Amreekan” nightmare for Wajahat - overnight, he went from a college student not sure what law school he should choose to needing to assume his family’s business, all the financial burdens of lawyers, mortgage, employees, etc., the care of his grandmothers, and almost-most devastatingly, the shame and attention of community gossip. For TEN YEARS. This experience alone gave him OCD, some form of PTSD, and probably a heart arrhythmia too.
I won’t even go in depth on some of the other highlights of this book - a whole chapter (and more) on the elusive maybe-myth of the Moderate Muslim, a childhood of being left handed and wearing husky pants, the saga of writing his play The Domestic Crusaders and turning it into reality, his wife and children, oh so much more. You’ll just have to read the book and enjoy his mostly poignant, but always funny, stories.
As an aside, one thing I loved about this book is his unwillingness to shy away from using his own language, sayings, terms, and nicknames to describe people and things. For example, when describing his family curse, he talks about and consistently refers back to the term nazar, or the evil eye. He calls one of his grandmothers his Dhadi - instead of just saying grandmother. He’s not trying to reshape his vocabulary for a white audience, he’s telling his story authentically, and educating his reader at the same time. It’s a little thing, but that stood out to me.
Overall, this was a book that will certainly give you a worthwhile perspective on many pressing issues of our time - but it’s also a fascinating, funny, and compelling memoir of a very interesting, resilient guy. Thank you to RB Media for the audio ARC via Netgalley!
July 9, 2022
Framed as an ironic handbook for achieving the “Amreekan” Dream, Ali’s memoir is a funny, self-deprecating account of growing up brown and Muslim in America. He is especially insightful when discussing representation of Muslims in pop culture and being a college student during 9/11. (During a campus rally protesting an Islamophobic cartoon that appeared in the student newspaper, Ali said “They have to be held accountable,” a remark that got him targeted by Bill O’Reilly and Michele Malkin — the beginning of what he calls his “beautiful, endearing friendship” with right-wing media). “In America,” Ali comes to realize, “if you aren’t writing your story, your story will always be written for you.”
March 11, 2022
Mostly funny, sometimes sad but mainly hard-hitting this book is the author’s own experience growing up as a Pakistani-American Muslim in a Country that only sees him and all nonwhites as foreigners.
This book narrates the story of Ali’s life as a considerable lucky desi kid whose parents were living the “Amreekan” dream until some challenging circumstances turned their life upside down and turned into an Amreekan nightmare while leaving him broke, the solace and purpose he was able to find in writing, his accidental activism that has since become the representative voice of many Desis and Muslims in the West. He writes with a lot of heart and sincerity, especially about the not-so-happy times of his life.
While elaborating on his personal struggles the author also touches upon myriad issues that concern the society at large namely Islamophobia, racism, systemic oppression, mental-health, community support, etc.
This book is inspiring, humorous, engaging, very easy to read and very hard to put down. Definitely recommend.
“Desi mothers and fathers operate only in two modes: blunt and very blunt”
“There is a mourning in their reminiscence, a hope and prayer for a renaissance that passed us by. I reject this nostalgia. Instead, I ask all those who are still striving to be recognized as "Amreekan" to invest in the present and future Rumis of today. There is someone right now, reading this book, who has always dreamed of being a poet, or a playwright, of a comedian, or a director, but has never had the encouragement. Sometimes a nod of approval, or a compliment, from family or a friend is all it takes, the small gust of wind that lifts the sails.”
This book narrates the story of Ali’s life as a considerable lucky desi kid whose parents were living the “Amreekan” dream until some challenging circumstances turned their life upside down and turned into an Amreekan nightmare while leaving him broke, the solace and purpose he was able to find in writing, his accidental activism that has since become the representative voice of many Desis and Muslims in the West. He writes with a lot of heart and sincerity, especially about the not-so-happy times of his life.
While elaborating on his personal struggles the author also touches upon myriad issues that concern the society at large namely Islamophobia, racism, systemic oppression, mental-health, community support, etc.
This book is inspiring, humorous, engaging, very easy to read and very hard to put down. Definitely recommend.
“Desi mothers and fathers operate only in two modes: blunt and very blunt”
“There is a mourning in their reminiscence, a hope and prayer for a renaissance that passed us by. I reject this nostalgia. Instead, I ask all those who are still striving to be recognized as "Amreekan" to invest in the present and future Rumis of today. There is someone right now, reading this book, who has always dreamed of being a poet, or a playwright, of a comedian, or a director, but has never had the encouragement. Sometimes a nod of approval, or a compliment, from family or a friend is all it takes, the small gust of wind that lifts the sails.”
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