Americanized: Rebel Without A Green Card

Bibliography

Saedi, S. (2019). AMERICANIZED: REBEL WITHOUT A GREEN CARD. Ember. ISBN: 978-1-5247-1782-7.

Plot Summary

AMERICANIZED is a memoir by Sara Saedi about growing up undocumented in the United States as an Iranian immigrant. Even though California is the only home she really knows, she finds out at 13 years old that they are living there without legal status. While carrying this new fear, Saedi deals with normal teenage experiences like crushes, fitting in, and school. 

Critical Analysis

AMERICANIZED is a great YA informational nonfiction detailing the life of an Iranian American, immigration, and undocumented status. Instead of being a textbook, Saedi uses humor and personal stories mixed in between direct explanations for readers to learn about immigration law and the effects of it on a family's everyday life.

Instead of just giving facts and explanations about immigration, Saedi uses a more personal approach to help readers truly understand what life as an undocumented teenager goes through. It allows readers to understand the emotional side, including the fear, shame, confusion, and immense uncertainty. 

One of the strongest parts that I dearly admire is not making the immigrant experience just tragic. Saedi includes normal, authentic aspects of life, allowing readers to not just connect to her but to also ensure immigrant teens are not only defined by struggle. They also have crushes, friendships, awkward moments, and dreams like everyone else. 

Saedi's background, of course, brings authenticity as this is a memoir of her own Iranian American immigrant experience. Overall, AMERICANIZED is a strong choice for both an informational nonfiction and multicultural literature.

Review Excerpts

"Imagine finding out when you re almost 13 that you re an undocumented immigrant and can be deported from the U.S. at any time. This is just one of the secrets that Saedi, now 37, reveals in this often funny and deeply moving memoir based on entries from her teenage diary. " Booklist, starred review.

"This is an encounter with a family that many readers will understand and others will long to be a part of, and it may inspire them to reconsider and chronicle their own family tales." Bulletin, starred review.

Connections

This book would work great in an informational nonfiction unit because students can analyze how memoirs can teach about history and real-world issues. Using this during a unit focused on Iranian American identity, immigration, and undocumented families would work well. Students could analyze and discuss how humor to explain serious topics is how Saedi both copes and informs readers about immigration.