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A review by rosepoints
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
karla conejo villavicencio manages to humanize undocumented americans in such a personal and profound way that maintains their human dignity and pride. i often feel like many books within this genre lean heavily into depersonalized hardship and stereotypes to the point where it becomes trauma porn, so i greatly appreciated her writing.
she also adds a touch of dark millennial humor about her own experiences within her writing. i’d almost go as far to say that this book can serve as part memoir, part ethnography due to the personal anecdotes, experiences with mental health, and memories she includes. i saw one review that described her prose as “caustic, quick, and simmering with righteous anger” and while i agree, i think that description also diminishes some of the tender moments in this book. her style of writing is accessible so the pages fly by, but the content itself is heavy and honest.
she also adds a touch of dark millennial humor about her own experiences within her writing. i’d almost go as far to say that this book can serve as part memoir, part ethnography due to the personal anecdotes, experiences with mental health, and memories she includes. i saw one review that described her prose as “caustic, quick, and simmering with righteous anger” and while i agree, i think that description also diminishes some of the tender moments in this book. her style of writing is accessible so the pages fly by, but the content itself is heavy and honest.