The Undocumented Americans

Villavicencio describes her work in this book as “creative nonfiction” (xvi). What does that term mean? In your opinion, how does the “creative” part impact the “nonfiction” part? (Does it compromise it? Aid it? Clarify it?) Where do you suspect the author took the most creative liberty in the book, and why do you suppose she did so?

The author intentionally sought out underrepresented stories. Which chapter do you think would be the most surprising to an American audience consisting largely of readers who have not shared the experiences of the immigrants discussed in the book? In other words, in which geographical location discussed in the book do you think immigrant stories have remained the most invisible in the mainstream?

How do gender and sexual orientation factor into the experiences and patterns that Villavicencio discusses throughout the book? (Hint: Think about both gendered labor and LGBTQ figures, like Pedro Ituralde, discussed in Chapter 1, Page 25.)

How does the author’s personal and family history fit into her book? Would you describe her approach as autobiographical?

The book covers cities populated by undocumented immigrants that are mostly in the eastern United States. A lot of mainstream media coverage of deportations and ICE raids comes out of the southwestern United States—places like Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Why might the author have focused on parts of the country not typically associated with Latinx immigrants?

Though the book focuses on immigration and the lives of immigrants, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio has written extensively on mental health and includes stories of mental health in The Undocumented Americans. How does mental health intersect with undocumented immigration? What is the author’s experience with and understanding of mental illness and healthcare in immigrant communities?

In the Introduction, Villavicencio says the book is intended to “fuck some shit up” (xvii). What do you think the author meant by that statement? Do you think, by book’s end, she was successful?

The immediate political circumstances surrounding the book’s publication (the Trump presidency) are important to the general tone of the book. How did the Trump presidency influence immigration policy (as discussed in the book)? To what extent does Villavicencio locate the heightened challenges and injustices with a specific political party or specific politicians? Who do you think the author would say is to blame for the injustices against undocumented immigrants in the United States?