In this Book
- Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant
- Book
- 2014
- Published by: University of Illinois Press
- Series: Latinos in Chicago and the Midwest
Arriving in the 1990s with a ninth grade education, N. traveled to Chicago where he found access to ESL and GED classes. He eventually attended college and graduate school and became a professional translator.
Despite having a well-paying job, N. was isolated by a lack of legal documentation. Travel concerns made promotions impossible. The simple act of purchasing his girlfriend a beer at a Cubs baseball game caused embarrassment and shame when N. couldn't produce a valid ID. A frustrating contradiction, N. lived in a luxury high-rise condo but couldn't fully live the American dream. He did, however, find solace in the one gift America gave him–-his education. Ultimately, N.'s is the story of the triumph of education over adversity. In Illegal, he debunks the stereotype that undocumented immigrants are freeloaders without access to education or opportunity for advancement. With bravery and honesty, N. details the constraints, deceptions, and humiliations that characterize alien life "amid the shadows."
Table of Contents
- Title Page, Copyright Page
- pp. i-vi
- 1: Amid the Shadows
- pp. 1-26
- 2: Of Things Lost
- pp. 27-40
- 3: My Adult Education
- pp. 41-56
- 4: The Song of the Cicadas
- pp. 57-76
- 5: At Work
- pp. 77-88
- 6: The Day I Got Counted
- pp. 89-98
- Postscript
- pp. 99-116
Additional Information
Copyright
2014