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katharina90's review against another edition
2.5
While undocumented she has lived a fairly privileged life and seems a bit out of touch. Her preconceived notions and unhealthy attitudes inform the way she engages with others, when she could be meeting them with curiosity and an open mind instead.
I really wish the author had devoted more time to the stories of other undocumented immigrants because I actually enjoyed reading those.
Minor: Deportation, Terminal illness, Racism, Addiction, Classism, Sexual assault, Violence, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Confinement, and Mental illness
kailey_reads's review against another edition
4.25
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, Mental illness, and Deportation
ksuazo94's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Deportation, Terminal illness, Grief, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual violence and Violence
emmehooks's review against another edition
4.5
This book is a mix of deeply personal fears and experiences, narrative reporting, and community building as a radical act of self-preservation and existence.
Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Classism, Deportation, Medical content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Cancer, Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Police brutality
Moderate: Addiction, Grief, War, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Infidelity
savvylit's review against another edition
5.0
One aspect that is discussed thoroughly in this book is the exploitation of undocumented workers by their so-called employers. In her chapter on Ground Zero, for instance, Villavicencio discusses the fact that many of the first responders on September 11th were undocumented. She gets to know a group of folks who were instrumental in the debris cleanup at Ground Zero. All of them now experience financially and physically devastating chronic diseases as a result of the harsh chemicals & carcinogens they were exposed to on the (underpaid) job.
Another key topic that Villavicencio explores is the myriad ways that being undocumented affects mental health. For example, she becomes deeply involved in the lives of families whose fathers are on the brink of deportation but have taken sanctuary in local churches. Though the children are still able to see their father, they struggle with the fact that they're forced to live apart. Some of the children she gets to know even begin to dissociate as they struggle to process their new, fraught realities.
This book isn't entirely about untold suffering and exploitation, however. It is also about solidarity, hope, radical joy, and the myriad ways that the undocumented support each other. And Villavicencio bears witness to it all - with passion, rage, and deep understanding.
I truly believe that The Undocumented Americans should be required reading for all who identify as American.
Graphic: Hate crime, Deportation, Grief, Medical content, Police brutality, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Mental illness
younganna's review against another edition
4.75
Moderate: Self harm, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Deportation, Sexism, Classism, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Racism, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Self harm, and Confinement
Moderate: Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Gun violence, Violence, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Fatphobia, Rape, Addiction, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Emotional abuse
deedireads's review against another edition
4.5
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Undocumented Americans is a moving, well-written memoir-in-essays that does exactly what I want from nonfiction: it helps open my understanding of the world and other people.
For you if: Like memoir and/or seek to learn more about the undocumented immigrant experience
FULL REVIEW:
I’m late to the party when it comes to The Undocumented Americans; it’s 2.5 years old and was nominated for the 2020 National Book Award for nonfiction (among others). I’ve watched many friends read and love it in that time, and I always knew I’d get there eventually. And now I have: This month we’re reading it for the book club I run at my office.
The Undocumented Americans is a journalistic memoir-in-essays by a young woman who was one of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard. The book not only gives us a look at her life and experiences, but also introduces us to communities of undocumented folks all over the country, from Staten Island to Miami to Flint, Michigan.
This book isn’t that long; I listened to the entire audiobook (read by the author) during a single long car ride. But it’s moving, well-written, and often sharp as a knife. Karla Cornejo Villavicencio isn’t afraid to surprise us with her choice of language to make a point, and she wields it with precision. She’s smart and unapologetic. Her care for the people she writes about seeps through every page.
I read nonfiction to broaden my understanding of humanity, to foster a stronger connection to the global community, and to become a more empathetic citizen of this world. This book most certainly helped me do it, and I’m so glad I finally picked it up.
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Death
Minor: Alcoholism and Self harm
solenodon's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Grief, Deportation, Confinement, Colonisation, Medical trauma, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, and Panic attacks/disorders
nagev's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Deportation and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Police brutality, and Chronic illness