Americanized: Rebel Without a Greencard

Sara Saedi
Aug 10, 2018

Life is hard enough being a teenager. But when you and your family are secretly illegal immigrants from Iran, things can get even more complicated. Sara's parents fled Iran when she was only two years old, and she didn't learn her undocumented status until her sister tried to apply for an after-school job, but couldn't because she didn't have a social security number. This memoir follows her teenage experiences with her family and at school as well as her progress toward getting her green card. This story follows her constant fear of being deported as well as her wishes of getting a green card, having clear skin, a car, and a boyfriend.

This book was amazing, it really broadened my worldview. I learned so much from this story, things like Iranian culture and the journey immigrants take to get a green card, much less a citizenship. I didn't really know how the process worked before reading this. I had no idea it was so hard or that the process took so long. I really liked how the author includes some of her diary entries from when she was a teenager and frequently asked questions she and other Iranians get.

People who want to learn more about the experiences of immigrants or how immigration works in this country should read this, or even those who want to learn about Iranian-Americans or Iranian culture.

Written by
Olivia from Leawood Pioneer Library YAAC

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