Americanized: Rebel without a Green Card

In the author’s note, Saedi writes that she deliberately uses humor to tell her family’s immigration story. How might this humor be different if there wasn’t a happy ending to her story—i.e., if her family did not receive their green cards?

What do Saedi’s diary entries reveal about her daily preoccupations as a teenager? How do they function as a literary device?

As a teenager, Saedi has many personal insecurities and doubts about her self-worth. Why does she include these narratives in a story largely focused on more important topics, such as immigration? How does she shed these insecurities?