Name: Julia Rivera's review of The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
Item: The Undocumented Americans
Rating: 5
Author: Julia Rivera

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST - One of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard reveals the hidden lives of her fellow undocumented Americans in this deeply personal and groundbreaking portrait of a nation. "Karla's book sheds light on people's personal experiences and allows their stories to be told and their voices to be heard."--Selena Gomez LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FINALIST - LONGLISTED FOR THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD - NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY VULTURE AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Book Review - Time - NPR - The New York Public Library - Book Riot - Library Journal Writer Karla Cornejo Villavicencio was on DACA when she decided to write about being undocumented for the first time using her own name. It was right after the election of 2016, the day she realized the story she'd tried to steer clear of was the only one she wanted to tell. So she wrote her immigration lawyer's phone number on her hand in Sharpie and embarked on a trip across the country to tell the stories of her fellow undocumented immigrants--and to find the hidden key to her own. Looking beyond the flashpoints of the border or the activism of the DREAMers, Cornejo Villavicencio explores the lives of the undocumented--and the mysteries of her own life. She finds the singular, effervescent characters across the nation often reduced in the media to political pawns or nameless laborers. The stories she tells are not deferential or naively inspirational but show the love, magic, heartbreak, insanity, and vulgarity that infuse the day-to-day lives of her subjects. In New York, we meet the undocumented workers who were recruited into the federally funded Ground Zero cleanup after 9/11. In Miami, we enter the ubiquitous botanicas, which offer medicinal herbs and potions to those whose status blocks them from any other healthcare options. In Flint, Michigan, we learn of demands for state ID in order to receive life-saving clean water. In Connecticut, Cornejo Villavicencio, childless by choice, finds family in two teenage girls whose father is in sanctuary. And through it all we see the author grappling with the biggest questions of love, duty, family, and survival. In her incandescent, relentlessly probing voice, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio combines sensitive reporting and powerful personal narratives to bring to light remarkable stories of resilience, madness, and death. Through these stories we come to understand what it truly means to be a stray. An expendable. A hero. An American.

The Undocumented Americans

Valerie Ettenhofer

"Traveling across the country, journalist Karla Cornejo Villavicencio risked arrest at every turn to report the ... stories of her fellow undocumented Americans, ... [bringing] to light remarkable [tales] of hope and resilience [through which] we come to understand what it truly means to be American"--

Karla if you read this im free on Thursday night and would like to hang out. Please respond to this and then hang out with me on Thursday night when I’m free.

No but actually this is perhaps my favorite piece of writing to date. The author's ferocity, her righteous anger and devastating sadness are transparent. I read this at a time when I am feeling hopeless as to what I can do and this helped center me. 

Julia Rivera

Karla if you read this im free on Thursday night and would like to hang out. Please respond to this and then hang out with me on Thursday night when I’m free.

No but actually this is perhaps my favorite piece of writing to date. The author's ferocity, her righteous anger and devastating sadness are transparent. I read this at a time when I am feeling hopeless as to what I can do and this helped center me. 

OliviaPadilla

So important. I encourage pairing this with The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea.

Jeannette Ordas

Want to read a really personal story (stories, really) about about a group of people who pay taxes but don't have any hold on the US? This book is filled with trauma and love and mental health challenges and everything in between. It's a memoir too as the author is also undocumented and the book is so much richer for it. 4.5 stars.

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • One of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard reveals the hidden lives of her fellow undocumented Americans in this deeply personal and groundbreaking portrait of a nation. “Karla’s book sheds light on people’s personal experiences and allows their stories to be told and their voices to be heard.”—Selena Gomez LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FINALIST • LONGLISTED FOR THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY VULTURE AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Book Review • Time • NPR • The New York Public Library • Book Riot • Library Journal Writer Karla Cornejo Villavicencio was on DACA when she decided to write about being undocumented for the first time using her own name. It was right after the election of 2016, the day she realized the story she’d tried to steer clear of was the only one she wanted to tell. So she wrote her immigration lawyer’s phone number on her hand in Sharpie and embarked on a trip across the country to tell the stories of her fellow undocumented immigrants—and to find the hidden key to her own. Looking beyond the flashpoints of the border or the activism of the DREAMers, Cornejo Villavicencio explores the lives of the undocumented—and the mysteries of her own life. She finds the singular, effervescent characters across the nation often reduced in the media to political pawns or nameless laborers. The stories she tells are not deferential or naively inspirational but show the love, magic, heartbreak, insanity, and vulgarity that infuse the day-to-day lives of her subjects. In New York, we meet the undocumented workers who were recruited into the federally funded Ground Zero cleanup after 9/11. In Miami, we enter the ubiquitous botanicas, which offer medicinal herbs and potions to those whose status blocks them from any other healthcare options. In Flint, Michigan, we learn of demands for state ID in order to receive life-saving clean water. In Connecticut, Cornejo Villavicencio, childless by choice, finds family in two teenage girls whose father is in sanctuary. And through it all we see the author grappling with the biggest questions of love, duty, family, and survival. In her incandescent, relentlessly probing voice, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio combines sensitive reporting and powerful personal narratives to bring to light remarkable stories of resilience, madness, and death. Through these stories we come to understand what it truly means to be a stray. An expendable. A hero. An American.

Rebeca Keren Nuñez

Es una historia que conozco. Tal vez no soy de un país caribeño, pero como latinoamericana es la historia de muchas personas, de muchas familias que conozco. Si será relevante leer libros como este, informarnos de estas realidades. Me sorprende que no haya más impulso para este libro.

Patty Pforte

What is reality and what is fiction in this powerfully written book. At times I get sucked into a story, about a cleaner who worked cleaning the debris of the two towers, at an older man trapped in a church for its sanctuary, at the author’s personal story, and then she tells us that it may not be true. There is so much power, vulnerability in this writing that it is worth reading and sharing with others.

Sarahi Flores

This is a half memoir and half biography. It's pretty interesting to have a mix of both but in a way it does blend well with what the author has to say. There was so many things I didn't know about the working immigrants in America. I was left with a shock and total disbelief that they basically risked their lives to clean up after 9/11 and with poor proper equipment and protection. Some have died and other have suffered. Other stories such as Michigan, you have to provide ID to get clean water after being discovered that the tap water has lead. It's pretty much kept low-key because what else? they're not important right? This book is the ugly truth. This is what immigrants have to face and endure. The quote I wrote on top is what sums up the whole idea of this book in my opinion. It's sad and it sucks.The author was on DACA when she wrote this book and it really takes a brave person to do that. Writing about the truth can be dangerous and I think this book should be recognized. This is a 5 out 5 stars review. Would I recommend it? yes of course, 100%.

Kathleen Mullins

3.5 Stars
This was such a unique genre & style, I've never read anything like it. I really loved that it was stories, not just facts and figures, and felt like it helped me understand the reality of being an undocumented immigrant. It left me with a lot to think about, but I couldn't get fully emotionally attached to the stories because there were so many in less than 200 pages.

Jennifer Dieter

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a free digital copy of The Undocumented Americans in exchange for an honest review. I saw this book all over Bookstagram and for good reason. The Undocumented Americans is part memoir and part investigative journalism on what it means to be a Latinx immigrant in America. The book is broken into six chapters, each focused on a different part of the country and all weaving real stories that highlight the challenges undocumented immigrants face and the impacts on their health and well-being as well as their families. Flint will definitely stick with me as a reminder on how little our government values human lives, but Karla pours her heart out in Cleveland in a gut wrenching way. There’s no way you can read these real names attached to real stories and not feel empathy for the undocumented Americans who make incredible contributions to our country but who live their lives in fear, are often disregarded and vilified, and who do not have access to basic human rights that many of us take for granted. This book may be slim, but it packs a punch. I love Karla’s humor, honesty, and vulnerability, and I look forward to whatever she writes next.

My only minor critique is I felt there might be too many people featured. Just went I started to feel attached to one person, the author moved on to someone else. I think this made it a slower read for me since I was trying to absorb and reflect on everyone’s story to give them the attention they deserved.

It was a compelling read. I cannot say I liked or enjoyed it, because it was raw and emotional and makes you question why we have barriers like borders and why we can again dehumanize another "class" of people when it is obvious they are as good as the next person.

Definitely a recommended read, keep your tissues handy.

Emily Christensen

4.5 stars. 
No matter how I describe this book I won’t be able to do the book justice. I think everyone needs to read this book (especially those of us that live in the US)! 
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This book is a non-fiction book by writer Karla Cornelius Villavicencio, an immigrant from Ecuador who has interviewed several undocumented immigrants to put together this heart-wrenching book. Karla humanizes and gives a voice to those we often forget about - people that our political leaders (and oftentimes our citizens) have been dismissing and dehumanizing for years.
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This book is divided into a few sections (most notably for me include 9/11 and Flint, MI) and every section unveils the parts that undocumented Americans play in our everyday lives without the credit (did you know HOW MANY undocumented workers were doing thankless but important work after 9/11? And they weren’t even given proper protective equipment or proper payment!). 
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Notable quote: “Americans treat their pets better than they treat immigrants”
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A few things I miiiiight have changed with this book:
👎🏼 Karla seems to transition a little too quickly to another story for me 
👎🏼 Karla adds a few distracting comments in with some interviews - her own personal narratives or her personal struggles (not that I mind reading them, they just felt a bit random at times) 
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Overall this book was raw, honest, vulnerable, and had excellent descriptions of people. Karla is intimate and doesn’t hold back. This is a must, especially in an election year!

Suzanne

This is not an easy book to read, but a book many should be reading. Karla goes into specific stories in the chapters (9/11, Flint etc) which really opened my eyes even more to what undocumented Americans go through. It is heartbreaking and you should keep tissues near. It was very good to read there are more and more organizations and individuals popping up helping undocumented people. But it is horrifying how little has changed.

Valerie Ettenhofer &
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

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