Publisher's Synopsis
Through testimonials, photography, poetry, and art, this book shares compelling stories of undocumented youth who turned oppression and hopelessness into faith and commitment for a better future-individuals who dared to hope with new dreams when faced with the myth and nightmare of the "American Dream."
When the children of undocumented immigrants in the United States are documented as objects in research studies and debates about policy, it is easy to overlook that they are complex human beings-people with aspirations, personalities, passion, and knowledge who are capable of creating change. Using participatory and collaborative methods through a commitment to acompañamiento/accompaniment, this work explores the problematic life experiences of undocumented youth as they move from fear, disclosure, and organizing for the "American Dream" to organizing against what they face each day-experiences that to them amount to the "American Nightmare."
This work provides firsthand accounts and sheds light on the issues these young people face, telling the stories of undocumented youth and their families as well as the community they advocate for through a collective narrative that weaves together research, experience, photography, poetry, and art. Readers will be able to better perceive undocumented parents and their children as human beings with a story, instead of seeing them as lawbreakers or criminals (or any other label society may use). The book details the legal and cultural climate relevant to undocumented immigration, with a focus on illegality as a form of inequality in the United States, the emotional pain experienced by detained and deported migrant women, and the inhumanity of the U.S. deportation system.
Vividly conveys what "illegality" feels like through the real-world lived experiences and multiple ways of expression of young people
Communicates and illustrates how young people navigate the contradictions of being undocumented
Demonstrates the relevance and potential power of youth voices and expression as legitimate avenues to create equitable and just immigration reform
Situates the debate and struggle for immigration reform in the United States within a larger global understanding of political-economic injustice and within the context of the historically black-led struggle for freedom
Illustrates the significance of accompaniment as an important element of a collaborative action research methodology and as a tool for social change
