The Undocumented Americans

Where do I begin with this one? Honestly, I love EVERYTHING about this story!!!! From Karla's tone, to her experiences traveling around the country meeting with undocumented individuals— all of it was awesome! It was funny, shocking, sad and very, very personal. The story unfolded in such a unique and heartfelt way; in the beginning, the narration feels more closed off and a bit detached(?), but as the story progresses, you see more and more of Villavicencio's (iconic) personality. Reading this book was like meeting someone for the first time, and slowly unpacking their life and experiences. Honestly, I feel like this story is as much a personal exploration of identity as it is a story to be read by others.

Karla's voice shines through in this story SO strongly, and that voice is ANGRY (and funny!). She strays from the traditional depiction of “undocumented immigrants”— as laborers, sufferers, and criminals. There is labor and there is suffering, yes, but that's not the point of the story; instead, she humanizes the people she speaks with as individuals, with their own unique stories. She highlights mental health, and the profound impact that living undocumented can have on your emotional (and physical) well-being. I'm running out of characters in this post so DM me if you want to hear more thoughts, but this is absolutely a MUST read ownvoices story