Join us for the Bay Area book launch of "I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir" from artist, journalist, and author Malaka Gharib. The daughter of Filipino and Egyptian parents, Malaka writes a triumphant tale of self-discovery, a celebration of family’s rich heritage, and a love letter to American immigrant freedom. "I Was Their American Dream" follows Malaka as she navigates her childhood chasing her parents’ ideals, learning to code-switch between her family’s Filipino and Egyptian customs, adapting to white culture to fit in, crushing on skater boys, and trying to understand the tension between holding onto cultural values and trying to be an all-American kid. "I Was Their American Dream" is at once a journal of growing up and a reminder of the thousands of immigrants who come to America in search for a better life for themselves and their children. Malaka will lead an interactive zine-making workshop following the reading.
This event is co-presented by San Francisco Public Library Excelsior Branch and PAL / The Pilipinx American Library, a movable library and programming platform dedicated exclusively to diasporic Filipinx narratives.
Malaka Gharib is an artist, journalist, and writer based in Washington, D.C. She is the founder of The Runcible Spoon, a food zine, and the co-founder of the D.C. Art Book Fair. She lives in a row house with her husband Darren and her 9-year-old rice cooker.