Lives in Limbo: Undocumented and Coming of Age in America

by Roberto G. Gonzales, Jose Antonio Vargas (Foreword)

“My world seems upside down. I have grown up but I feel like I’m moving backward. And I can’t do anything about it. ” –Esperanza

Over two million of the nation’s eleven million undocumented immigrants have lived in the United States since childhood. Due to a broken immigration system, they grow up to uncertain futures. In Lives in Limbo, Roberto G. Gonzales introduces us to two the college-goers, like Ricardo, who had good grades and a strong network of community support that propelled him to college and DREAM Act organizing but still landed in a factory job a few short years after graduation, and the early-exiters, like Gabriel, who failed to make meaningful connections in high school and started navigating dead-end jobs, immigration checkpoints, and a world narrowly circumscribed by legal limitations. This vivid ethnography explores why highly educated undocumented youth share similar work and life outcomes with their less-educated peers, despite the fact that higher education is touted as the path to integration and success in America. Mining the results of an extraordinary twelve-year study that followed 150 undocumented young adults in Los Angeles, Lives in Limbo exposes the failures of a system that integrates children into K-12 schools but ultimately denies them the rewards of their labor.



 

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Sociology, Race, Anthropology, Ethnography, Social Justice

318 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2015

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just... wow! I am completely blown away by this book, the amount of research that was put in, and how accessible it is to a broader audience. Tackling the issues of undocumented youths, “illegality,” and immigration laws in America head on, Prof. Gonzales has crafted a book that is engaging on every single page. Prof. Gonzales spent over 12 years interviewing over 150 undocumented youths in the Los Angeles metropolitan area to learn about the struggles they face growing up. Prof. Gonzales deftly navigates the reader through each of the major stages of of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood and shows how being labeled as “illegal” and forced to the margins of society has affected these children at nearly every moment in their lives. It is gut-wrenching, eye-opening, and jaw-dropping all at the same time. In short, this book was spectacular! And for those of you who might be daunted by reading an academic book, have no fear. This is one of the most readable and enjoyable academic books I have ever read. Yes, it follows the basic structure of an academic work with an introductory chapter, evidentiary chapters, and a concluding chapter and there are many references to other academic works throughout, but the main focus of this book is the undocumented youth and Prof. Gonzales rarely shifts the focus away from them. If there is one book you should read to better understand the immigration debate and how we can better address it for the benefit of both our country and the millions of undocumented youths, this is the only book you need to read.

[Edrick Willie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of the book had me thinking, "No surprise there," which is not to say that I think Dr. Gonzales' twelve years of working with and researching undocumented student experiences was pointless. I just mean that his work confirms every ugly thing I suspected about the way this country plays with the lives of undocumented students. It is an ugly country, and I am grateful to have read a book that so thoroughly humanized a large swath of the population.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of an Urban Schooling course at UIUC. While the course itself was not terribly engaging due to a lackluster professor, this book was a pretty good read.

[Alli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a class, and it was actually super eye-opening and much more engaging than I thought it was going to be. I still don't think I would choose to read this on my own though haha.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly powerful. A must read for US educators and educational policymakers. Extremely humanizing in highlighting the struggles of the 1.5 undocumented generation of immigrants that came to the US as children.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roberto Gonzales spent twelve years with 150 undocumented immigrants. He has a good case study on illegal immigration. The writing is technical and sometimes the author belabors the point - both make it a pain to read at times. I like the excerpts of the interviews included in the text. It makes you sympathize with the person and feel that there is a real person that needs help.

Do not go to the United States illegally, that is the lesson I get from this book. Undocumented immigrants face a lot of obstacles in integration and it makes one question whether low-paying backbreaking jobs is worth the risk of going to the United States illegally. There is also the issue of the 1.5 generation, people who were brought to the United States illegally as children. It was not their choice to go to the United States illegally yet are facing the consequences of being an illegal immigrant. It was also eye-opening to read the stories of highly educated 1.5 immigrants who had to eventually settle for low-paying, low-skilled jobs after graduation because they lack the papers to apply the skills learned in the American education system. Surely, these educated individuals can benefit American society but have to settle for less.

Immigration reform will be a painful process. If Congress will legalize undocumented immigrants, it will increase the number of potential illegal immigrants seeing that there is a way of legality. Undocumented yet educated individuals can contribute to society but are faced with limited options.

This is a thought-provoking book done by a scholar. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the lives and the laws that pertain to illegal immigration.

[Larkin Tackett · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No de aqui, ni de alla.” Neither from here, nor there. Students who are undocumented don’t have a home country. While most haven’t known a home other than the US, this ethnography that we read for a MAYA Team Day tells compelling stories that while students who are undocumented may feel at home in high school, they fall of a legal cliff after 12th grade, regardless of their academic potential. They truly live lives in limbo and unless Congress decides to solve the legal problem, the students will continue to feel unending pain of life coming from nowhere.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book is the output from a tremendously exhaustive research project cataloguing the lives of undocumented youth in Los Angeles. Covers in great detail the clear psychological and logistical toll of being “illegal” and how this country’s immigration system traps people in impoverished circumstances with few options. Writing style is definitely that of an academic, and would have appreciated a more robust section on policy recommendations.

[sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of the book was very interesting, and giving very informational statistics that I didn’t even think about, however towards the halfway point, maybe a little bit after the halfway point of felt like the materials being repeated over and over making it difficult to focus focus. overall it was a pretty good read.

[Arin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illuminating and timely exploration of the experience of coming of age as an undocumented immigrant in America, and the unique challenges presented by learning of one's status in the eyes of the law while also attempting to transition into adulthood.

[MinorB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Critical reading. This book expanded my thinking and my knowledge. Being undocumented in the United States is a lot more intricate and complicated than I realized; it is heart-wrenching in ways I didn't know prior to reading this.

[William Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longitudinal study of undocumented immigrants and how their experience changes from early education to later education and then adulthood.

Gives a detailed (sometimes repetitive) account of the variations in undocumented immigrant experiences and their treatment by schools, government, peers, and subcultures.

Good book to read to get an idea of what is actually happening in the lives of undocumented immigrants. Also, considers the various problems of current (often conflicting) policy and legislation regarding undocumented immigrants and offers a few (although not many) suggestions to improve the situation.

[Cassidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting information, but it was extremely repetitive and not written to make it interesting.

[Leah Montange · Rating 4 out of 5]

impressive amount of research went into this book
intro works well as an undergrad text, i predict. By that I mean, excellent synthesis and very readable.

[Mere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one of my professors’ books! He really did groundbreaking research here but this was at times exhaustingly repetitive. Took me a long time to get through.

[Dakota Hartford · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Rating:
Writing: 5 Stars
Originality: 5 Stars
Instruction: 4 Stars
My Personal Enjoyment/Usefulness: 5 Stars
(All out of 5 Stars)
Total: 4.75 Stars

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not the most thrilling read, but it's subject is of even more importance to our political climate today. Gonzales paints a thoughtful, nuanced, and thoroughly-researched portrait of the lives of DREAMers, the undocumented youth of America, the unique struggles they face, and the ways in which a racist, antiquated system works to prolong their oppression.

[Jessica Rickert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book on the goodreads giveaway. I do not agree with the moral of this book at all, but I want to give credit where credit is due. Mr. Gonzales strongly researched this subject and wrote a very informative book. I can feel his passion on this subject through his words. I do not believe anyone in the US should be entitled to anything. If this group of immigrants has it so rough here, then why come and stay here? I have had to work hard my whole life for everything I have. That is the American dream. So I cannot feel sorry for the people who came here illegally and thought everything would be rainbows and roses.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for educators!