- Hyphenly by Immigrantly
- Posts
- Teen Angst and Hero Moments
Teen Angst and Hero Moments
Sometimes, you want to feel like a kid again.
A little nostalgia can go a long way when the deadlines pile up and “adulting” feels impossible. Remember when your biggest worry was who to sit with at lunch?
But let’s be real—that wasn’t everyone’s childhood.
For many kids, growing up happens fast. Maybe there’s family drama. Money’s tight. You’re helping raise younger siblings. Or navigating politics and identity way earlier than you should have to.
Sure, YA novels and teen dramas often serve up dreamy high school romances. But some stories go deeper.
That’s why we’re recommending While You Were Dreaming by Alisha Rai.
The book follows sixteen-year-old Sonia, a talented seamstress who works part-time at a café and channels her creativity into cosplay. Decked in black gear and a magnificent cape, she’s headed to a cosplay competition—only to spot her classmate (and crush) drowning in a canal.
Without thinking, she dives in to save him—and becomes a masked local hero. But instead of waiting for the applause or emergency services, she runs. Why?
Because even though Sonia is a U.S. citizen, her older sister Kareena is undocumented. After their mother was deported and their late father’s family cut them off, the two sisters have been surviving on their own. Kareena works multiple jobs to support them, and their mother urges them to return to India. But they’ve spent their whole lives in the U.S., and Kareena—who’s queer—fears moving to a country with harsher anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Through it all, Sonia still dreams.
She shops for grocery store sushi with her friend Hana, complains about school bullies, plays dress up, and blushes over crushes.
She learns to navigate questions of beauty and belonging: “Do you really think you’re ugly, or did you just grow up around European beauty standards?”
She also wrestles with how identity is policed by others and herself.
At one point, she’s told:
“I’ve never cared for the term [whitewashed]. Our diaspora is vast, and individuals are a product of a lot of different factors. You’re still the ethnicity that you are, even if you don’t feel like you fit whatever mold you think you should.”
And beneath all the dreaming simmers a quiet fury.
Sonia doesn’t just carry her pain—she carries the weight of a broken system: “Resentment and anger stirred inside me. It wasn’t even resentment and anger at Kareena alone, but at the government and the world and at borders and at my dad’s vindictive family and my mom’s shady lawyer.”
While You Were Dreaming reminds us that joy, identity, and sisterhood can coexist with struggle. That even the biggest secrets can’t stop a girl from dreaming big.
But don’t just let us tell you why we like the book. Here’s what the author wrote in her acknowledgments:
“I wrote the book I wished I could have seen on the shelf when I was younger. I hope that some of you see yourselves in parts of it, too. If you don’t see yourself in it, that’s okay. Maybe you’ll see someone else in it, someone who lives in your community, or goes to your school, or works at your coffee shop. Maybe it helps you understand them a little better.”
Let us know if you pick it up—we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Culture Check-In: We want to hear from you!
Do you enjoy teen dramas and YA novels? |
Podcast Pick of the Week
If you want to learn more about immigration rights and the Constitution, check out our episode with NPR Throughline’s Ramtin Arablouei on “Who Gets To Be A Citizen of the United States?”
Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.
Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.
This newsletter was curated by Suhasini Patni.
Hyphenly curates the latest news, art, and businesses from immigrants around the world. Have a tip or story we should feature? We’d love to hear from you.
We’re currently accepting blog pitches and offer a small honorarium—send your pitch to [email protected]
Visit us at www.immigrantlypod.com.