The Undocumented Americans Paperback – April 6, 2021

Great reading! Excellent depiction of the very unfair and crude lives of undocumented people working, living and dying in the US. The resilience, humanity, and strength showed by immigrants... if embraced, the US would be even a much greater country.

Loved this book! Such thoughtful engage me with the topic and re-humanization of a group of community members. Excellent read.

"The Undocumented Americans" by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio was an extremely powerful, touching and essential read.I want to start off by saying this book has so much information covering undocumented Americans and their lives. Villavicencio takes us on a journey from Staten Island, Ground Zero, Miami, Flint, Cleveland and New Haven. As she brings us through all these different places, the reader learns so much about the individual lives of undocumented Americans and the struggles they face.I, personally, have been reading a lot of books surrounding the issues and unjustifiable treatment the undocumented American community faces upon reaching the United States, but this was so augmenting. There was so much information in this book that I didn't know about and couldn't even begin to imagine happening to other human beings.This read truly does humble you in so many ways. As a first generation Dominican woman, I am profoundly reminded of my privilege. No matter who you are, what your background is, if you yourself are not an undocumented American you feel so deeply for the people in this book and it makes you really reconsider all the stupid, little things you complain about. There are so many people out there right now struggling unfathomably and arduously fighting against this horrible system in the United States- the place they came to for a better life for their families. Over and over again, the U.S disappoints.I'm so grateful to have been able to read this and expand my knowledge even more in terms of the current immigration system in the United States and the lives of REAL people.The information in this book is RAW, REAL, and truly HUMBLING. I recommend this book to everyone, just to stay informed and empower you to make a difference. Maybe think a little bit before deciding to side with He Who Shall Not Be Named in the upcoming election #imissbernie

This book was not all what I expected when I picked it up, but it is amazing. Part memoir, part documentary on the lives of undocumented immigrants-I don’t think it knows what it is half the time-it’s a series of essays, vignettes of people the author finds or who find her, from New York to Miami. Men, women, children, old people. People who worked in recovery after 9/11, housekeepers, herbalists, students. People who work hard and make mistakes. People who sacrifice for their children and endure horrible loneliness and abuse. And throughout we also learn the author’s immigrant story, Karla’s story: her personal anger and fear and mental illness as well as the fierce almost arrogant pride she has in being a Harvard graduate, a burgeoning success story (she’s still very young!)The book left me unbalanced and I think that’s what the author intended: for readers, especially white readers, to not have a satisfying experience of “noble long-suffering immigrants making good” but to feel unsettled and angry, to the point where maybe, just maybe, we’ll push for real change. I know I will.

Unrelenting and fearless, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio weaves intimate personal reflection and a participatory journalistic style all her own into a dynamic, nuanced portrait of life as an Undocumented American. Imperfect and raw in exactly the ways I imagine the author wants it to be, The Undocumented Americans keeps the reader off balance, compelling empathy, incredulity and unbridled, righteous rage - often within the space of a few phrases.Going far afield beyond the popular, palatable "DREAMer" narrative (the "model minority" of our present day), this book carries a microphone directly to the most invisible, the most voiceless. The Undocumented Americans offers unflinching portrayals of the dehumanizing injustices heaped upon immigrant bodies. Prepare to confront and lament the lie and the cost of the so-called 'American Dream' with all its promises, privilege and creature comforts. Don't come for smiling faces framed in triumphant caps and gowns. Expect instead: swollen feet, bowed backs, wrinkled cheeks, gnarled hands, and brains, so stress-scarred their neural pathways most resemble "trees without branches."

I just finished the book and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. The style of writing pulls you in and makes you feel like you’re talking to a friend. She wants to talk to you about the things that tug on her heart, and she carefully shares the sensation so that it tugs on yours too. The book is a perfect mix of facts, interview and her personal position, making it a compelling read during a time when immigrants are the political punching bag. Please read this to gain a perspective other than your own and to be reminded of the beauty within each of her subjects. This country is plagued by injustice and we cannot just turn a blind eye because it makes us uncomfortable.

Great book, Glad I got it..

This is likely a GREAT book if you know little about undocumented Americans. If your social and/or professional communities include undocumented Americans, you won't learn anything new or be surprised by any of the stories in the book.

«I grew up with nightmares but they are living through nightmares.»Creo que la sinopsis de este libro lo dice todo, una maravilla de libro que recomiendo a todo el mundo. Os dejo la sinopsis en español para los que no os llevéis bien con el inglés:Una de las primeras inmigrantes indocumentadas en graduarse de Harvard revela las vidas ocultas de sus compañeros estadounidenses indocumentados en este retrato profundamente personal e innovador de una nación.La escritora Karla Cornejo Villavicencio estaba en DACA cuando decidió escribir sobre ser indocumentada por primera vez usando su propio nombre. Fue justo después de las elecciones de 2016, el día en que se dio cuenta de que la historia de la que había intentado evitar era la única que quería contar. Así que escribió el número de teléfono de su abogado de inmigración en la mano con rotulador y se embarcó en un viaje por todo el país para contar las historias de sus compañeros inmigrantes indocumentados y encontrar la clave oculta de la suya.Mirando más allá de los focos de conflicto de la frontera o del activismo de los DREAMers, Cornejo Villavicencio explora la vida de los indocumentados y los misterios de su propia vida. Encuentra que la nación de personajes singulares y efervescentes a menudo se reduce en los medios de comunicación a peones políticos o trabajadores sin nombre. Las historias que cuenta no son diferentes ni ingenuamente inspiradoras, sino que muestran el amor, la magia, la angustia, la locura y la vulgaridad que infunden la vida cotidiana de sus sujetos.En Nueva York, conocemos a los trabajadores indocumentados que fueron reclutados para la limpieza de la Zona Cero financiada con fondos federales después del 11 de Septiembre. En Miami, ingresamos a las omnipresentes botánicas, que ofrecen hierbas y pociones medicinales a aquellos cuyo estatus los bloquea de cualquier otra opción de atención médica. En Flint, Michigan, nos enteramos de las demandas de identificación estatal para recibir agua limpia que salve vidas. En Connecticut, Cornejo Villavicencio, sin hijos por elección, encuentra familia en dos adolescentes cuyo padre está en un santuario. Y a pesar de todo, vemos a la autora lidiando con las cuestiones más importantes del amor, el deber, la familia y la supervivencia.Con su voz incandescente e incansable, Cornejo Villavicencio combina reportajes sensibles y poderosas narrativas personales para sacar a la luz historias notables de resiliencia, locura y muerte. A través de estas historias llegamos a comprender lo que realmente significa ser un extraviado. Un prescindible. Un héroe. Un americano.👉Súper consejo: Como siempre el audiolibro narrado por la autora merece mucho la pena.

7/25までに届く予定が、届いたのは２８日だった。名前も住所も少し違っていたが届いて良かった。新品なのかもしれないが、凹みや傷があった。読む分には大丈夫だが、ちょっと残念。

Compelling chronicle of real facts!