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japandria's review against another edition
3.0
My one sentence review: I know very little about the Cuban (American) experience, and I found her life and perspective interesting -- I would've gladly read 100 more pages (which is a sign that I should check out her fiction).
livesinpages's review against another edition
5.0
This is the kind of book I wish I had around when I was a freshman in college, that might have made navigating the whiteness and white spaces a bit easier. It also would have opened my eyes to some unchecked behavior and thoughts I used to have, too. These are incredibly strong and compelling essays with a touch of humor that speak to today.
gissellereads's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book and read it in a few sittings! There were so many ways I related to some of the stories. I laughed, cringed and even teared up while reading it. The essays are thought provoking and funny at times.
This book not only talks about White privilege but also about the privilege some of us latinx have because we look white. This is something I think about a lot because I am Puerto Rican and I get told all the time “but you don’t look Puerto Rican” or “You don’t have an accent”. It’s something we don’t talk about enough and it was thought provoking and refreshing to read about.
I loved the stories about her family. I found myself nodding so much at how I had similar experiences with my mine. At how our families sacrifice so much for us to go to college and get an education but then once you get there everything things change.
I wish I had this book when I was in college. I think it would have opened my eyes to certain behaviors. Now I just want to go read Jennine’s fiction books and can’t wait for more books from her. I am so glad I found this book and I hope everyone reads it!
Thank you so much to Picador for sending me this free book in exchange for an honest review
This book not only talks about White privilege but also about the privilege some of us latinx have because we look white. This is something I think about a lot because I am Puerto Rican and I get told all the time “but you don’t look Puerto Rican” or “You don’t have an accent”. It’s something we don’t talk about enough and it was thought provoking and refreshing to read about.
I loved the stories about her family. I found myself nodding so much at how I had similar experiences with my mine. At how our families sacrifice so much for us to go to college and get an education but then once you get there everything things change.
I wish I had this book when I was in college. I think it would have opened my eyes to certain behaviors. Now I just want to go read Jennine’s fiction books and can’t wait for more books from her. I am so glad I found this book and I hope everyone reads it!
Thank you so much to Picador for sending me this free book in exchange for an honest review
daniestrada7's review against another edition
5.0
really good! Very thoughtful and relatable for the latino experience. I especially appreciated the recognition of her own experience passing as white in many scenarios and of the cuban experience as white in Miami in its un-otherness. Very nuanced and interesting and enjoyable! I think she embodies the simultaneity of whiteness and brownness expertly.
kareenbeanreads's review against another edition
4.0
This was a thought-provoking memoir/essay collection. I appreciated the sentiments of the author as she covered such a wide range of topics - from being a child of immigrants and the concept of the "American Dream" to weddings and the concept of marriage. I felt that the earlier essays in this piece were a bit stronger, but all were overall intriguing and left me with a lot to think about.
A few of my favorite quotes were centered around race and what is considered "American":
"But I’ve come to see the American Dream for what it really is: a lie my parents had little choice but to buy into and sell to me, a lie that conflated working hard with passing for, becoming, and being white."
"Many white people I’ve met often think of themselves as culture-less, as vanilla: plain, boring, American white. What they are revealing when they say this, which they often do in jest, is how little race impacts their lives, how whiteness is ubiquitous to them, and they mistake that ubiquitousness as a kind of neutrality or regularness that renders their race and culture invisible to themselves."
A few of my favorite quotes were centered around race and what is considered "American":
"But I’ve come to see the American Dream for what it really is: a lie my parents had little choice but to buy into and sell to me, a lie that conflated working hard with passing for, becoming, and being white."
"Many white people I’ve met often think of themselves as culture-less, as vanilla: plain, boring, American white. What they are revealing when they say this, which they often do in jest, is how little race impacts their lives, how whiteness is ubiquitous to them, and they mistake that ubiquitousness as a kind of neutrality or regularness that renders their race and culture invisible to themselves."
bibirod's review against another edition
4.0
I usually don’t like essay collections, but this one was interesting. I didn’t necessarily agree with all her points of view, but some of it was definitely relatable. I’ll be reading more of this author’s work.