We ARE Americans: Undocumented students pursuing the American dream
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We A R E Am e r i c a n s : U n d o c u m e n t e d st u d e n t s p u r s u i n g t h e Am e r i c a n d r e a m William Perez Stylus, Sterling, VA, USA, 2009, paperback, 161pp., ISBN: 1579223762 Latino Studies (2010) 8, 421–423. doi:10.1057/lst.2010.31
In this pioneering text, We ARE Americans: Undocumented Students Pursuing the American Dream, William Perez presents the touching narratives of undocumented students who are being denied the opportunity to pursue their dreams because of their immigration status. Using these narratives in conjunction with social, economic and civil rights arguments, he demonstrates the need for a pathway to legalization. Having spent a majority of their lives in the United States of America, 1.8 million undocumented children (ages 0–18 years) and 3.4 million undocumented young adults (ages 18–29 years) have been educated in US educational institutions, and socialized to believe in meritocracy. They grew up thinking that they would be able to pursue their American Dreams, much like their documented and citizen peers. Yet, on completing their legally guaranteed K-12 education, they are faced with a choice to pursue their educational dreams or to join others in the undocumented shadows. For the 20 individuals featured in this book, and the 10–20 per cent of their undocumented peers who choose to pursue a higher education, this meant facing financial,
psychological and social challenges as they attempt to wind their way through educational institutions and find ways to put their educational credentials to use. After a brief introduction that lays out the legislative and demographic foreground, Perez presents 20 narratives – 16 undocumented students and 4 formerly undocumented individuals. Seeking to portray the experiences of undocumented students at various points in the educational pipeline, Perez tells the stories of undocumented students who are in high school, community college and 4-year university, as well as some who have already graduated from college. The final four stories are from formerly undocumented individuals who were able to pursue their education and eventually put their hard-earned degrees to use, as they serve their communities as educated professionals. By presenting these additional narratives, Perez paves the road for a clear argument: the first 16 stories are representative of those of thousands of other undocumented individuals, and they can all have the same outcomes as these now educated professionals, who were also formerly undocumented, if the
r 2010 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1476-3435 Latino Studies Vol. 8, 3, 421–423 www.palgrave-journals.com/lst/
Book Review
federal government creates a pathway to citizenship. At the end of each narrative, and in his conclusion, Perez makes an impassioned plea for readers to get involved in passing the federal Dream Act, which would enable talented undocumented youth to legalize their status. Overall, Perez’ book is innovative because of its narrative structure and policy-based focus. Presenting each narrative sepa
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