Review of "Half a Century Ago" by Angela Arias

​Score: 95+/100 (9.5+ out of 10)

Half a Century Ago is a captivating and immensely inspirational memoir by Angela Arias! It captures the authentic experiences of an immigrant who came to the USA from the Domincan Republic around the age of 10 in 1971. Taking place in the 1970s, this book isn't just a look into the fascinating life of an immigrant, it's also a glimpse into the world as it existed decades ago.

That's right: the USA in the 1970s. It's a land without cellphones, smartphones, laptops, or even the internet—a time when letters were handwritten, phones were attached to walls, and children played outside until the streetlights came on.

Angela Arias paints this world with rich, sensory detail: the scent of fresh coffee, the clatter of subway trains, the music of street life, and the immigrant neighborhoods that pulsed with struggle and hope. Through her eyes, we experience the challenges of learning a new language, adjusting to cramped city living, and overcoming cultural dissonance—all while holding onto family traditions, dignity, and dreams. Her story is a testament to perseverance, love, and the quiet strength that defines so many first-generation immigrant families.

Through vivid storytelling, Arias shares the joys and struggles of cultural adaptation, family reunification, and childhood resilience in a new and often overwhelming land. With poetic reflections and heartfelt moments, the memoir invites readers into the emotional landscape of a young girl navigating unfamiliar streets, languages, and customs while holding tightly to her identity and dreams. It is both a personal journey and a universal story of hope, belonging, and the enduring strength of family.

And what's extra special is how this book somehow avoids becoming overly political or venturing into social-justice/social commentary.

Impressively, this is true even though the temptation is clearly there for the author, who is a bit of an activist in real life. Instead of preaching or taking a didactic tone, Arias lets the power of lived experience do the talking. She weaves in historical and social context—like racial tensions, poverty, and the educational challenges faced by immigrants—with a quiet, thoughtful hand. Her reflections are grounded in personal truth rather than ideology, making the story relatable to a wide range of readers. This subtle restraint allows the memoir to remain emotionally sincere and deeply human, inviting empathy without demanding agreement. It’s a story about people first—about love, family, memory, and transformation—and that’s what makes it resonate so powerfully.

In other words, Arias lets her incredible story and experiences speak for themselves.
They don't need to be embellished. They don't need to be fluffed up or puffed up with vain self-importance or some big huge message. No. They just exist, and whatever message you come away with is what you come away with.

We love that.

We love that because there's nothing more frustrating and annoying about these types of memoirs than when authors use it as an opportunity to rant and rave.

Getting angry is easy. Being loud and obnoxious is easy. Preaching is easy.
By comparison, telling a good, compelling story and presenting information effectively is not easy.

Yet, Arias achieves this just by being truthful, honesty, authentic, and raw.

There are so many great personal stories and scenes in this book! Here are a few of our favorites:

- When Loli, Angela's younger sister, becomes defiant toward Mother Superior over eating the same foods the pigs eat, and Mother Superior has her taken away to an unknown fate, disappearing for days in a "seclusion room."

- When Angela notices the "skeleton buildings" which turn out—hauntingly—to the be the World Trade Center, still standing tall and proud in the heart of New York City.

- When Angela speculates why there are so many fires in the Bronx, thought to be caused by the Bronx's own impoverished, discontent residents (arsonists).

- When Angela receives her very first typewriter, which really makes you appreciate modern technology.

- When Angela discusses what it was like to travel to and from school in some of the dirtiest and most dangerous streets in America. She and her associates are confronted by drug addicts, procuers, and other dangerous and shady individuals. They stick together and learn how to read and avoid certain people.

- When Angela determines to become the first college graduate in her family.

- When Angela becomes the family's de facto translator after her brother suffers a nosebleed, really emphasizing how lemons can turn into lemonade.

Gosh, you have to read this book to really appreciate it. There are much better scenes and moments throughtout the book.

This book isn't just educational and eye-opening about the American immigration system, the American-Dominican history (including military intervention), and America itself in the 70s, it's also very inspirational. Angela, the author and narrator, is someone who shot for the stars against all odds.

Check it out on Amazon!