I Was Their American Dream

In I Was Their American Dream (2019–present, Crown Publishers), journalist and cartoonist Malaka Gharib crafts a single-issue graphic memoir that explores her identity as the daughter of Filipino and Egyptian immigrants growing up in the United States. This heartfelt, humorous work deftly navigates the push-and-pull of cultural expectations, the search for belonging, and the layered meaning of the American dream. Gharib’s warm, lightly cartooned art brings to life her personal journey—from family potlucks to navigating hyphenated identities—making it a resonant addition to the modern canon of immigrant narratives in comics.