I Was Their American Dream: Chapters 5–8

by Malaka Gharib
In this graphic memoir, Malaka Gharib recounts growing up in America while navigating her Filipino and Egyptian heritage.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8
20 words 251 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. technically
    according to the exact meaning; according to the facts
    I did, however, get into Syracuse University, which was technically in New York.
  2. mortgage
    a conveyance of property as security for repaying a loan
    Hi, I would like to take money out of my mortgage.
  3. ubiquitous
    being present everywhere at once
    Ubiquitous tote bag that every girl used to carry books
  4. recession
    a situation in which the state of the economy declines
    It wasn't New York, but it was 2008, the height of the global recession, and I somehow nabbed the highly elusive entry-level job!!!
  5. elusive
    skillful at evading capture
    It wasn't New York, but it was 2008, the height of the global recession, and I somehow nabbed the highly elusive entry-level job!!!
  6. repress
    conceal or hide
    So I tried to repress all signs of my brownness.
  7. hijab
    a headscarf worn by Muslim women
    That's just a hijab.
  8. multicultural
    relating to or including diverse nationalities or customs
    Shouldn't being multicultural make me special?
  9. reductive
    characterizing something in an overly simplistic way
    If someone asks within moments of meeting me, it feels reductive.
  10. nonprofit
    not commercially or financially motivated
    A nonprofit? What was the point of sending you to private school?
  11. confidante
    a woman or girl to whom secrets can be entrusted
    I had an awesome group of friends.
    Party friend
    Confidante
    Shopping bud
  12. engagement
    a meeting arranged in advance
    Be there for social engagements
  13. clan
    group of people related by blood or marriage
    Have kids and raise them under the influence of the whole clan
  14. impractical
    not workable
    I wanted to have the kinds of impractical jobs my family advised against.
  15. dapper
    marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners
    Extremely dapper
  16. etiquette
    rules governing socially acceptable behavior
    I told him about our cultural etiquette.
  17. quirk
    a strange attitude or habit
    Visiting his hometown near Nashville, I saw that white culture varied by region—and southerners had their own quirks.
  18. embody
    represent or express something abstract in tangible form
    To me, he embodied valuable qualities in my cultures, most notably a Filipino trait called "mabait."
  19. honorary
    given as an award without the normal duties
    In a way Darren is kinda like an honorary Filipino.
  20. officiate
    perform a ceremony or religious ritual
    Darren's grandaddy, a Southern Baptist pastor, officiated the wedding with a ceremony script that drew from the Koran and the Bible.
Created on Tue Jan 14 09:45:24 EST 2020 (updated Tue Jan 14 09:48:25 EST 2020)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.