12/13/2021
In this persuasive polemic, journalist Arce (Someone Like Me) draws on her experiences as an undocumented Mexican immigrant to encourage Latinx people to “dismantl the lie of assimilation to reclaim the most essential and beautiful parts of ourselves, our history, and our culture.” Noting that she used “fake papers” to obtain a job at Goldman Sachs and became a citizen 20 years after she first arrived in the U.S., Arce contends that “assimilating to ‘American’ culture really mean imitating white America,” and that “even after I learned English, became a citizen, got my coins, I still wasn’t welcomed.” She cites many historical examples of discrimination against Mexican Americans, including the segregation of Latinx students in public schools, the banning of bilingual education programs, and the denial of birth certificates to the children of undocumented parents. Arce also contends that the blame for the decline in blue-collar jobs in America lies not with undocumented workers but with “corporate greed,” and details the lack of Latinx representation in U.S. politics and popular culture. She urges Latinx people to promote their own culture, history, and identities as fully American, and to support other communities of color in the fight for equality. This impassioned call for change rings true. (Mar.)
02/04/2022
Many immigrants to the United States adopt the dominant white culture in order to fit in, but with her latest work, Arce (My [Underground] American Dream) calls on immigrants to reject the urge to assimilate and retain their culture and traditions. She believes that assimilation discourages people of color from creating their own spaces because they are striving for an unattainable "American dream" and to become more acceptable to white Americans. Arce describes her own experience as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico to argue that assimilation promotes and enforces white supremacy. In particular, she reveals that learning "unaccented" American English and finding a well-paying job did not make her feel like she was an American. In fact, Arce argues, assimilation to the dominant culture can be weaponized against impoverished or otherwise disadvantaged immigrants, which can promote harmful narratives. Arce also discusses topics such as whiteness in Mexican culture, the history of Mexicans in what is now the United States, legal immigration pathways, and cultural appropriation. Finally, she calls on immigrants to reclaim their history and celebrate their unique communities and contributions. VERDICT A necessary counterpoint to the narrative of the American dream. Recommended for readers interested in immigrant experiences.—Rebekah Kati
★ 2022-02-15
A personal narrative that dismantles the myth of assimilation as a pathway to belonging and success for people of color.
At age 14, Arce was an undocumented Mexican immigrant whose parents “ate American exceptionalism like it was holy communion on Sunday.” All things were possible, they believed, for those who worked hard and kept their noses clean, and belonging in the land of the free was simply a matter of intelligence, English, and money. As an adult, the author became an American citizen and landed a coveted job at Goldman Sachs, where she “made enough money to be considered upper middle class.” Yet her journey is not an illustration of meritocracy. Rather, Arce exposes the idea of the American dream as mendacious propaganda and shows the deep harm it causes to people of color, including immigrants, who are urged to chase Whiteness as a pathway to success. The author examines how assimilation makes a person smaller, obscuring “the most essential and beautiful parts of ourselves, our history, and our culture.” Arce, the author of My (Underground) American Dream and Someone Like Me, reaches into the histories of immigration, Mexico, and Latinidad for important context, explaining the complications of colonialism, race, and the slave trade. She cogently makes the case that a nation founded on the idea that “all men are created equal” must embrace, support, and love its citizens of color for who they are, and she convincingly argues that the American dream should not demand any person’s erasure. This is an important book that challenges the idea of American exceptionalism with equal parts passion, fury, intimacy, and ignored history. Arce celebrates the Mexican American immigrant experience in all its vibrancy and nuance while fearlessly naming the pain inflicted by American racism, ethnocentrism, and xenophobia.
An essential read to better understand America and its immigrant stories.
"Now, Arce has come out with another volume that examines the costs of that success. In a careful, forcefully argued polemic, she picks apart the myth of American assimilation. No matter how much she effaced her Mexican background, Arce argues, she still didn’t have a White person’s privileges ." —Bloomberg
"This is an important book that challenges the idea of American exceptionalism with equal parts passion, fury, intimacy, and ignored history. Arce celebrates the Mexican American immigrant experience in all its vibrancy and nuance while fearlessly naming the pain inflicted by American racism, ethnocentrism, and xenophobia. An essential read to better understand America and its immigrant stories.”
—Kirkus, starred review
"With bold, clear writing, Arce calls for immigrants and communities of color to reject assimilation, turn away from the white gaze and embrace their unique cultures, histories and identities, which deserve celebration. This book is a confident step forward for Arce as a writer and public thinker."
—BookPage, "2022 Preview: Most Anticipated Nonfiction"
"I’m so glad Arce wrote about this important topic, and how we should resist the insidious ways colonialism affects the world."
—Julianne Escobedo Shepherd , The Meteor
"A necessary counterpoint to the narrative of the American dream." —Library Journal
“Examines the damage caused by America's push for assimilation, breaking down the myth that newcomers must abandon their culture to achieve a sense of belonging.” —ELLE
"In this unflinching book, Julissa Arce guts the idea that to live in America means immigrants must abandon their own histories, cultures and languages and assimilate to dominant norms." —Ms. Magazine
"You should read You Sound Like a White Girl by Julissa Arce...In this phenomenal book, Arce argues against pressures for Latine people and other BIPOC to assimilate into white culture." —BookRiot
"A narrative that questions and dismantles the idea that assimilation will lead to belonging, success, and acceptance in America for citizens of color (and specifically immigrants)" —The Millions
"By centering Latinx history and culture, memoirist and cultural critic Julissa Arce boldly challenges narrow notions of American identity." —Kelly Blewett, BookPage
"Rather than attempt to become unaccented, English-speaking Americans, Arce argues, Latinx immigrants should endeavor to maintain their language, culture, food, and other traditions on U.S. soil." —Bustle, The Most Anticipated Books of March 2022
“Arce unapologetically challenges the age-old notion that America is stronger when it’s newest immigrants relinquish their culture, language and identity by merging to whiteness. This book spares no one and nothing in uncovering the cultural and societal forces that convince many young people longing for acceptance in America that their skin is too dark to be beautiful, their English too accented and their customs too ethnic to be truly American. Ultimately, You Sound Like A White Girl is a powerful call for and celebration of self-acceptance. If you could take Rodolfo Gonzales epic poem 'I Am Joaquin' and explain it through compelling, personal narrative in twenty-first century America, You Sound Like A White Girl would be it.”
— Joaquin Castro
"Illuminating. You Sound Like a White Girl debunks age-old historical myths and instead offers us forgotten truths that will help us make sense of our country today. You will not think the same after reading this book."
— Reyna Grande, award-winning author of The Distance Between Us
“A love letter to our people—full of fury and passion. You Sound Like a White Girl tells us about who we are, where we came from, and most importantly, helps us imagine a future where we can live in all our beauty and power.”
— José Olivarez, award-winning poet and author of Citizen Illegal
“I have been waiting for this book all my life. Julissa Arce brilliantly dismantles the idea that we must reject our languages, our histories, and the teachings of our elders to fit into a flawed society. Arce asks us to draw on our ancestors’ wisdom as well as our own experiences to rebuild this society on the foundations of self-respect, mutuality, and care for others. She convincingly demonstrates that a nation humbled by the global pandemic can be reinvigorated by the courage and compassion of immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean.”
— Paul Ortiz, award-winning author of An African American and Latinx History of the United States
"To so many immigrants throughout history, including many in my own Mexican American community, assimilation has meant repressing or abandoning their languages and cultures to fit in. In You Sound Like a White Girl, Julissa Arce challenges that notion with a clear eye and exacting rebuke, urging us to recognize and cherish the traditions and cultures that immigrants have contributed to our nation." — Julián Castro, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary
Author and narrator Julissa Arce delivers a powerful commentary on what she sees as the illusion that immigrants can become “real Americans” by assimilating. Arce weaves her personal experience as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who built a successful career on Wall Street with Latinx history and analyses of recent political issues. Her tone is firm and unapologetic in her criticisms and celebratory of her accent’s connection with her origins. Ultimately, this audiobook demonstrates that no amount of assimilating can ensure acceptance by white Americans and that owning one’s culture doesn’t strip one’s identity as an American. A bonus conversation between Arce and journalist Paola Ramos discusses the writing process and goes into more detail about the specific personal experiences that inform the topics in Arce’s audiobook. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Author and narrator Julissa Arce delivers a powerful commentary on what she sees as the illusion that immigrants can become “real Americans” by assimilating. Arce weaves her personal experience as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who built a successful career on Wall Street with Latinx history and analyses of recent political issues. Her tone is firm and unapologetic in her criticisms and celebratory of her accent’s connection with her origins. Ultimately, this audiobook demonstrates that no amount of assimilating can ensure acceptance by white Americans and that owning one’s culture doesn’t strip one’s identity as an American. A bonus conversation between Arce and journalist Paola Ramos discusses the writing process and goes into more detail about the specific personal experiences that inform the topics in Arce’s audiobook. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
