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My (Underground) American Dream: My True Story as an Undocumented Immigrant Who Became a Wall Street Executive
For an undocumented immigrant, what is the true cost of the American Dream? Julissa Arce shares her story in a riveting memoir.
When she was 11 years old Julissa Arce left Mexico and came to the United States on a tourist visa to be reunited with her parents, who dreamed the journey would secure her a better life. When her visa expired at the age of 15, she became an undocumented immigrant. Thus began her underground existence, a decades long game of cat and mouse, tremendous family sacrifice, and fear of exposure. After the Texas Dream Act made a college degree possible, Julissa's top grades and leadership positions landed her an internship at Goldman Sachs, which led to a full time position--one of the most coveted jobs on Wall Street. Soon she was a Vice President, a rare Hispanic woman in a sea of suits and ties, yet still guarding her "underground" secret. In telling her personal story of separation, grief, and ultimate redemption, Arce shifts the immigrant conversation, and changes the perception of what it means to be an undocumented immigrant.
When she was 11 years old Julissa Arce left Mexico and came to the United States on a tourist visa to be reunited with her parents, who dreamed the journey would secure her a better life. When her visa expired at the age of 15, she became an undocumented immigrant. Thus began her underground existence, a decades long game of cat and mouse, tremendous family sacrifice, and fear of exposure. After the Texas Dream Act made a college degree possible, Julissa's top grades and leadership positions landed her an internship at Goldman Sachs, which led to a full time position--one of the most coveted jobs on Wall Street. Soon she was a Vice President, a rare Hispanic woman in a sea of suits and ties, yet still guarding her "underground" secret. In telling her personal story of separation, grief, and ultimate redemption, Arce shifts the immigrant conversation, and changes the perception of what it means to be an undocumented immigrant.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published September 13, 2016
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September 4, 2016
I was excited to have access to this memoir by a successful American woman who happened to be undocumented (thanks NetGalley!). I'm giving it the two star rating (which in the Goodreads scheme means "it was ok") not because of the story, which was fascinating, but because it needed serious editing.
The basic narrative of Julissa Arce's life is summed up in the publisher description of the book, which I'll quote here:
This book was difficult for me to read because Arce was so uncritical of the "American dream" she references endlessly. She is obsessed with making money (at times, lots of money). That in itself is not a problem - when it's difficult to make ends meet in a family budget, one becomes obsessed with money. But a lot of money was spent on things that didn't seem strictly necessary (private school) in hopes of a payoff later. Arce indeed makes her way into a solid, salaried job at Goldman Sachs, but works herself to the bone (80+ hour weeks) to climb beyond entry level. Every time she makes more money, she spends more money (often on the requirements of the job, like an expensive wardrobe) and is back to living paycheck to paycheck. She is physically ill due to the extreme stress in her life, yet never seems to wonder if the price she is paying is worth it. She completely glorifies the life of a financial analyst and is unable to see how her participation in the global financial system harms poor people and undocumented workers. She just ignores it - like she ignores the letters from the IRS about the discrepancies with her (fake) social security number.
Arce's fixation on making money blinds her to the needs of her own family, who she routinely references as the reason she is trying to "make it" in the U.S. She actually brings her teenage brother to NYC while she is working 80+ hours a week and then seems surprised when he doesn't exactly thrive. She claims she took the responsibility of caring for her brother seriously, but how can you when you are never home?
Eventually Arce begins to realize that she "drank the Goldman Kool-Aid" and makes some changes in her life. The visit to see a "prophet" was kind of a left turn, one that would have made no narrative sense if this had been a carefully crafted novel. But in the end, I think she drank the American Dream Kool-Aid.
I want to be clear: I support the undocumented workers who live and work here. I want there to be a legal path to citizenship for them. I think all people have the right to enjoy a good quality of life no matter where they are. But Arce's book, which shows very little self-awareness and is frustratingly repetitive, is unlikely to change readers' opinions about the issue.
The one moment I really liked was near the end, when she had dinner with some UT-Austin administrators after returning to campus for a career fair. One of the administrators told everyone that Arce had red hair and a tongue ring when she was in college. It was a "Can you believe it?" kind of moment, and one which Arce did not appreciate. She had words with her after dinner and told her it wasn't okay for her to judge students when she was supposed to help them, and it certainly wasn't okay for her to bring it up as a joke years later when that student had risen to become a VP at Goldman (p 243). I loved that Arce didn't let this moment slip, but I also noticed that the one person she actually confronted about how she was treated was another Hispanic woman (Arce uses the term "Hispanic" not "Latina").
The basic narrative of Julissa Arce's life is summed up in the publisher description of the book, which I'll quote here:
When she was 11 years old Julissa Arce left Mexico and came to the United States on a tourist visa to be reunited with her parents, who dreamed the journey would secure her a better life. When her visa expired at the age of 15, she became an undocumented immigrant. Thus began her underground existence, a decades long game of cat and mouse, tremendous family sacrifice, and fear of exposure. After the Texas Dream Act made a college degree possible, Julissa's top grades and leadership positions landed her an internship at Goldman Sachs, which led to a full time position--one of the most coveted jobs on Wall Street. Soon she was a Vice President, a rare Hispanic woman in a sea of suits and ties, yet still guarding her "underground" secret. In telling her personal story of separation, grief, and ultimate redemption, Arce shifts the immigrant conversation, and changes the perception of what it means to be an undocumented immigrant.
This book was difficult for me to read because Arce was so uncritical of the "American dream" she references endlessly. She is obsessed with making money (at times, lots of money). That in itself is not a problem - when it's difficult to make ends meet in a family budget, one becomes obsessed with money. But a lot of money was spent on things that didn't seem strictly necessary (private school) in hopes of a payoff later. Arce indeed makes her way into a solid, salaried job at Goldman Sachs, but works herself to the bone (80+ hour weeks) to climb beyond entry level. Every time she makes more money, she spends more money (often on the requirements of the job, like an expensive wardrobe) and is back to living paycheck to paycheck. She is physically ill due to the extreme stress in her life, yet never seems to wonder if the price she is paying is worth it. She completely glorifies the life of a financial analyst and is unable to see how her participation in the global financial system harms poor people and undocumented workers. She just ignores it - like she ignores the letters from the IRS about the discrepancies with her (fake) social security number.
Arce's fixation on making money blinds her to the needs of her own family, who she routinely references as the reason she is trying to "make it" in the U.S. She actually brings her teenage brother to NYC while she is working 80+ hours a week and then seems surprised when he doesn't exactly thrive. She claims she took the responsibility of caring for her brother seriously, but how can you when you are never home?
Eventually Arce begins to realize that she "drank the Goldman Kool-Aid" and makes some changes in her life. The visit to see a "prophet" was kind of a left turn, one that would have made no narrative sense if this had been a carefully crafted novel. But in the end, I think she drank the American Dream Kool-Aid.
I want to be clear: I support the undocumented workers who live and work here. I want there to be a legal path to citizenship for them. I think all people have the right to enjoy a good quality of life no matter where they are. But Arce's book, which shows very little self-awareness and is frustratingly repetitive, is unlikely to change readers' opinions about the issue.
The one moment I really liked was near the end, when she had dinner with some UT-Austin administrators after returning to campus for a career fair. One of the administrators told everyone that Arce had red hair and a tongue ring when she was in college. It was a "Can you believe it?" kind of moment, and one which Arce did not appreciate. She had words with her after dinner and told her it wasn't okay for her to judge students when she was supposed to help them, and it certainly wasn't okay for her to bring it up as a joke years later when that student had risen to become a VP at Goldman (p 243). I loved that Arce didn't let this moment slip, but I also noticed that the one person she actually confronted about how she was treated was another Hispanic woman (Arce uses the term "Hispanic" not "Latina").
October 8, 2022
A coming-of-age memoir that captures the challenges and triumphs of reaching one's dream while leading a double life. Arce is a true testament that with some smarts, hard work, perseverance, and a little luck, one can achieve their dream. The odds were surely against her at times. This honest story telling captures her inner thoughts, feelings and more as well as the different cultures she encountered. I was familiar with one - San Antonio. I probably bumped into Arce without knowing. Highly recommend to those that like non-fiction, immigration, or a riches-to-rags-to-riches story.
June 12, 2016
Julissa Arce's Mexican parents brought her legally to the U.S. when she was 11; when she was 14 her visa expired and she began living with the constant pressure of being an undocumented immigrant in a country she'd mostly grown up in and felt was her home. Arce powerfully makes the case for why undocumented immigrants deserve a path to citizenship -- as with the oft-stalled DREAM act. Arce herself only eventually gained legal status because she was able to marry someone who had money and had money herself. She's very upfront about how this path is open to very few -- and not nearly enough -- people.
The story of how Arce made her money is where the book loses me a bit. In my mind:
Undocumented immigrants = lots of sympathy, deserve better treatment
Wall Street culture and Goldman Sachs = yuck, get away from me
It totally makes sense that Arce, who ran a funnel cake stand to pay her way through college, would want to grow up and make bank. But the lesson she takes from a story about a young "chubby" analyst being hazed by being made to run all over a huge trading floor looking for something that doesn't exist is "know everything so people can't put anything past you." My takeaway is: these people are gross.
The last quarter of the book also turns heavily Christian in a way that's just...very alienating to me. I know that this will not be the case for a lot of people. In fact, I hope people who think Wall Street is awesome and/or are strong Christian believers, but are less convinced about the need to reform our immigration policies to help more people in need and let them live the fabled American Dream -- I hope they read this memoir. I hope it can influence them in a positive way. That's the ideal audience for this book.
However, if you already agree with Arce about the types of positive changes that need to be made to immigration law, you don't especially need to read her story; similar tales are told better elsewhere.
The story of how Arce made her money is where the book loses me a bit. In my mind:
Undocumented immigrants = lots of sympathy, deserve better treatment
Wall Street culture and Goldman Sachs = yuck, get away from me
It totally makes sense that Arce, who ran a funnel cake stand to pay her way through college, would want to grow up and make bank. But the lesson she takes from a story about a young "chubby" analyst being hazed by being made to run all over a huge trading floor looking for something that doesn't exist is "know everything so people can't put anything past you." My takeaway is: these people are gross.
The last quarter of the book also turns heavily Christian in a way that's just...very alienating to me. I know that this will not be the case for a lot of people. In fact, I hope people who think Wall Street is awesome and/or are strong Christian believers, but are less convinced about the need to reform our immigration policies to help more people in need and let them live the fabled American Dream -- I hope they read this memoir. I hope it can influence them in a positive way. That's the ideal audience for this book.
However, if you already agree with Arce about the types of positive changes that need to be made to immigration law, you don't especially need to read her story; similar tales are told better elsewhere.
January 15, 2018
Brutal. Writing was like that of a freshman in high school. For someone who spends pages and pages talking about her thoughts and feelings, she is totally lacking in self-awareness. Her sense of entitlement was offensive. She insisted upon using quotes to describe her status as "illegal," when it was precisely that: illegal. It was one long humble-brag. I have been an advocate for immigrants' rights for decades, and found this book to be a boring, poorly written waste of time.
July 27, 2016
I begun reading this book yesterday afternoon at 2:30 pm to be exact. It was very captivating from the very beginning: Julissa going through an anxiety attack fresh out of college and going into a very desirable job as a financial analyst for a very profitable firm on Wall St, in N.Y. while she was undocumented! She finished college with a high GPA, extra curricular activities and landed an excellent job opportunity with no legal papers. The whole book is so captivating describing her hardships of everyday life and her illegal status. Excellent book to read!
February 7, 2017
Arces' story is unique and some parts were interesting however the underlying element of breaking the law and engaging in criminal activity clouded a lot of her history and accomplishments for me. I cannot go to her country and presume that Mexico has a responsibility to pay, feed, cloth, and give me me me everything I desire even if I work hard. I have to get proper Visas and follow proper protocol set by her government. I am soooo tired of illegal millenials thinking that they are justified in coming here and by working 'under the table' that this is ok. That said, Arce is a hard worker and in my belief, could have won a place somewhere in Wall Street by doing things LEGALLY. Additionally, Arce voices her position by stating that there are many like her in the shadows of the US. No doubt there are however, there are many many illegals from all over the world that come to the US and bring third world ideals and criminal behavior that manifests in gang activity, filth, abject poverty, and no concern for speaking the national language or obtaining a proper basic education. Alongside such aforementioned traits, these people foster a sense of the American entitlement (I want what they have and I do not want to work for it...I will steal it). In fairness to Arce, she is a subset of people that are here and want to give back to America and do elevate their game to mirror successes found in the US. They do go out of their way to be scholarly and stay out of most legal trouble. The main issue I had with Arces' position is the broad brush she strokes with regards to her argument. Arce would have been better off not making this sooo political because while I started out with empathy she lost me when as a MEXICAN CITIZEN, she decided to buy illegal paperwork and ulitmately to marry for a green card . Mexican government (and many others) needs to be dealt with by its citizens via political process and maybe even uprisings if opportunities are not readily available in your countries. In the event that you are from another country and want to gain access of employment and permanent life in another country, you need to do it LEGALLY. You do not like the process, take it to YOUR GOVERNMENT and vote against the people that do not reflect your values etc.. maybe even run for office yourself. The bottom line is that the US has laws, rules, regulations that are in place and if you do not like them....GO HOME. I liken using fake papers to gain a job and money in the US illegally to stealing. There is no justification. I also think the US is overrun with people that are not here legally and raping and pillaging the land. Arce, although claiming to live in CA, has her hispanic blinders. Many heavily hispanic neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles and surrounding counties are in fact filthy and rampant with gang members that do ZERO for the local economy aside from costing American tax payers incessant amounts of money to incarcerate them for many periods of time (comprise the largest amount of prisoners in the CA system alone) . Additionally, they have zero regard for whomever is around when they randomly go out gangbanging. Yes, there are many illegal people that are not participating in gang activities and a fair amount that WENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM the proper way. I know dozens and they greatly enhance our local economy and ethnic diversity which is the essence of America.
America is overrun with illegals and they do not just encompass Mexican people. We have a substantial amount from Armenia, China, Africa, Canada and various parts of Asia. Go home, get a better job or two, or three, and put the money together to come here properly. In the meantime, I understand there are very long waits so, apply for work visas in the proper way. Stay, work, and get visas. I know four people from India that have been working in the US for 12 and 15 years. They continually get sponsored because they worked hard and have a lot to offer the companies that employ them. The trade is fair and legal. If you cannot come here on a work visa extension because you are not properly educated, go home and get what you need to come back (properly). I have friends from Australia and Denmark that came here and put in the time to get the right paperwork and proceed to follow the laws mandated here in the US. They worked here for years until they could get a green card LEGALLY and paid taxes as anyone making money here in the US should do. It is not my responsibility or any other AMERICAN CITIZEN (regardless of heritage) to pay your way for you. Stop coming here and stealing jobs from those that are here LEGALLY. Otherwise, you should be deported or put in jail. There is nothing racist about people wanting an America that is filled with people that follow laws and contribute properly.
BTW: Arce is stating an untruth about illegals not getting proper medical care. No one is turned away from hospitals (but should be) due to lack of funds. By law, medical providers have to offer minimum standard of care. Also, you can obtain welfare here in the US even if you are illegal. I have a friend that works in the SS office here in LA (know her from my gym) and she tells me thousands of illegals scam off our system because they have no money and expect the USA to give them the basics they cannot give themselves. This is from people in all parts of the world here illegally (according to her and some other people that work in various government jobs here in CA).
America is overrun with illegals and they do not just encompass Mexican people. We have a substantial amount from Armenia, China, Africa, Canada and various parts of Asia. Go home, get a better job or two, or three, and put the money together to come here properly. In the meantime, I understand there are very long waits so, apply for work visas in the proper way. Stay, work, and get visas. I know four people from India that have been working in the US for 12 and 15 years. They continually get sponsored because they worked hard and have a lot to offer the companies that employ them. The trade is fair and legal. If you cannot come here on a work visa extension because you are not properly educated, go home and get what you need to come back (properly). I have friends from Australia and Denmark that came here and put in the time to get the right paperwork and proceed to follow the laws mandated here in the US. They worked here for years until they could get a green card LEGALLY and paid taxes as anyone making money here in the US should do. It is not my responsibility or any other AMERICAN CITIZEN (regardless of heritage) to pay your way for you. Stop coming here and stealing jobs from those that are here LEGALLY. Otherwise, you should be deported or put in jail. There is nothing racist about people wanting an America that is filled with people that follow laws and contribute properly.
BTW: Arce is stating an untruth about illegals not getting proper medical care. No one is turned away from hospitals (but should be) due to lack of funds. By law, medical providers have to offer minimum standard of care. Also, you can obtain welfare here in the US even if you are illegal. I have a friend that works in the SS office here in LA (know her from my gym) and she tells me thousands of illegals scam off our system because they have no money and expect the USA to give them the basics they cannot give themselves. This is from people in all parts of the world here illegally (according to her and some other people that work in various government jobs here in CA).
August 29, 2016
I didn’t mean to read two memoirs in a row but NetGalley got my attention with this one too—about an undocumented woman who ends up earning six figures on Wall Street. [I’m not giving anything away. All that information is in the subtitle, “My True Story as an Undocumented Immigrant Who Became a Wall Street Executive”]. Working at a community college and living in town that is about 70% Latino, I am very aware of the issues that undocumented folks, especially students, face and I was curious to hear Julissa Arce’s story.
Julissa does a good job in this memoir of explaining and exploring her experiences as an undocumented person growing up in the U.S. As a child, Julissa’s parents owned and operated a successful silver business that involved them working both in Mexico and across the border in the United States. They had documentation, that at that time, allowed them to move legally back and forth between countries, to pay business taxes in the U.S. and even to get Texas driver’s licenses. As a matter of fact, they lived much of the year in San Antonio while Julissa remained in Taxco with her grandmother, Mama Silvia. However, an incident in grade school (involving a Playboy magazine and a crush) led to Julissa’s parents bringing her to the U.S. and putting her in private school. Since Julissa came in on a tourist visa that decision already put her in danger of deportation but the problem was compounded when her parents let her tourist visa expire. Of course, like most DREAMERS, Julissa had no idea that she was breaking the law and she suspects her parents assumed that their business would continue to be successful and they would move back to Taxco and live in the beautiful three-story house they were having built there. However, as you might guess, things didn’t turn out that way.
Julissa describes her experiences in high school and college and how her growing realization about her undocumented status causes stress on numerous levels. Yes, she can’t apply for federal financial aid so she has to work multiple jobs to pay for her college education. However, she also has to live in fear that one mistake—being pulled over by a cop for speeding or for having a broken tail light—could end in her being sent back to Mexico. She is lucky and she works hard but even as her efforts pay off and she begins to work on Wall Street, she is so very, very afraid that her secret will be revealed.
Though being undocumented drives Julissa to strive hard for material and professional success, it also shapes her life in troublesome ways and this memoir does a good job of showing both dynamics at play. At first, I was a little turned off by all the talk of high powered work on Wall Street (basically Julissa did a lot of work with derivatives and I had flashbacks to The Big Short) but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that financial success provided a sense of safety and allowed Julissa to help her family. Also, as you might guess by the fact that she wrote a book, Julissa doesn’t stay in Wall Street for long and she eventually takes on a professional role closer to her heart.
Though the writing here is not amazing, Julissa’s story is compelling and well worth reading. Amidst all the election vitriol, this memoir reminds me of what we will lose by not continuing to welcome immigrants into our communities and what we will gain by supporting the DREAM act.
Julissa does a good job in this memoir of explaining and exploring her experiences as an undocumented person growing up in the U.S. As a child, Julissa’s parents owned and operated a successful silver business that involved them working both in Mexico and across the border in the United States. They had documentation, that at that time, allowed them to move legally back and forth between countries, to pay business taxes in the U.S. and even to get Texas driver’s licenses. As a matter of fact, they lived much of the year in San Antonio while Julissa remained in Taxco with her grandmother, Mama Silvia. However, an incident in grade school (involving a Playboy magazine and a crush) led to Julissa’s parents bringing her to the U.S. and putting her in private school. Since Julissa came in on a tourist visa that decision already put her in danger of deportation but the problem was compounded when her parents let her tourist visa expire. Of course, like most DREAMERS, Julissa had no idea that she was breaking the law and she suspects her parents assumed that their business would continue to be successful and they would move back to Taxco and live in the beautiful three-story house they were having built there. However, as you might guess, things didn’t turn out that way.
Julissa describes her experiences in high school and college and how her growing realization about her undocumented status causes stress on numerous levels. Yes, she can’t apply for federal financial aid so she has to work multiple jobs to pay for her college education. However, she also has to live in fear that one mistake—being pulled over by a cop for speeding or for having a broken tail light—could end in her being sent back to Mexico. She is lucky and she works hard but even as her efforts pay off and she begins to work on Wall Street, she is so very, very afraid that her secret will be revealed.
Though being undocumented drives Julissa to strive hard for material and professional success, it also shapes her life in troublesome ways and this memoir does a good job of showing both dynamics at play. At first, I was a little turned off by all the talk of high powered work on Wall Street (basically Julissa did a lot of work with derivatives and I had flashbacks to The Big Short) but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that financial success provided a sense of safety and allowed Julissa to help her family. Also, as you might guess by the fact that she wrote a book, Julissa doesn’t stay in Wall Street for long and she eventually takes on a professional role closer to her heart.
Though the writing here is not amazing, Julissa’s story is compelling and well worth reading. Amidst all the election vitriol, this memoir reminds me of what we will lose by not continuing to welcome immigrants into our communities and what we will gain by supporting the DREAM act.
November 23, 2018
I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, but I had to let it sit with me - and not in a good way. The story is the author's own about how her parents brought her here illegally when she was 14 years of age due to concerns about her behavior while living with her grandmother in Mexico. Julissa is then forced to struggle with her illegal immigration status as she navigates through college and later work.
The problem I had with this book, however, is that while Julissa eventually obtains a green card, she doesn't really come across as caring about the plight of others who are not as fortunate as she is. She seems somewhat self-absorbed as a person and that made it difficult to identify with her. She mentions working with an organization briefly to help others who wish to be in America legally, but then she eludes to no longer having ties with that organization - and I could't help but feel if the organization didn't serve Julissa, Julissa didn't want to serve the organization. Perhaps it is her initial belief that wealth equals success and the constant discussion and preoccupation with wealth that made this book unlikable to me.
The problem I had with this book, however, is that while Julissa eventually obtains a green card, she doesn't really come across as caring about the plight of others who are not as fortunate as she is. She seems somewhat self-absorbed as a person and that made it difficult to identify with her. She mentions working with an organization briefly to help others who wish to be in America legally, but then she eludes to no longer having ties with that organization - and I could't help but feel if the organization didn't serve Julissa, Julissa didn't want to serve the organization. Perhaps it is her initial belief that wealth equals success and the constant discussion and preoccupation with wealth that made this book unlikable to me.
January 11, 2017
I know immigration is a hot topic for many but as an "illegal immigrant " , undocumented is more acurate, I am able to connect to Julissa in so many ways. I devoured the pages, whether you agree or disagree this book will give you an inside of our lives.
I am now an American citizen and I would die for this wonderful country but the struggles of many people have been kept in the dark due to fear and ignorance. I definitely recommend this book.
I am now an American citizen and I would die for this wonderful country but the struggles of many people have been kept in the dark due to fear and ignorance. I definitely recommend this book.
March 8, 2018
Started off impressed that she was able to write in her eleven year old voice, but then it never really changed!
It was disturbing to continuously read (very repetitive) her version of the American dream being making big money. Even when she leaves that behind to give back she mentions that it's only possible because she had money (which is absolute crap).
It was disturbing to continuously read (very repetitive) her version of the American dream being making big money. Even when she leaves that behind to give back she mentions that it's only possible because she had money (which is absolute crap).
November 9, 2024
4-love
My aunt gave me this book a few months ago and I figured there was no time like right before the election to start it 😄 unfortunately, I feel like the people who could benefit from reading this book most, won’t read it. However, I would absolutely recommend this book to any American. Really anyone from anywhere, because immigration is not uniquely an American issue.
Julissa shared her story in such a raw way and while reading, I felt like a friend who was cheering her on from the sidelines.
Her story, her work ethic, and her love for family are inspiring.
My aunt gave me this book a few months ago and I figured there was no time like right before the election to start it 😄 unfortunately, I feel like the people who could benefit from reading this book most, won’t read it. However, I would absolutely recommend this book to any American. Really anyone from anywhere, because immigration is not uniquely an American issue.
Julissa shared her story in such a raw way and while reading, I felt like a friend who was cheering her on from the sidelines.
Her story, her work ethic, and her love for family are inspiring.
November 29, 2016
Julissa was brought to the United States as a child and then caught in red tape, leaving her undocumented--having lived in the US for her formative years, being schooled in the US, but undocumented. At the point she realized she could be deported, her life was just beginning. She was very bright, hard working, and college bound. The only way to continue her life was to go forward and continue her plans with false papers. The burden of guilt followed her all the time, causing her to live guardedly, and in fear.
Julissa graduated college (the University of Texas) with honors and landed a job on Wall Street with Goldman Sachs. By dedication and very hard work, she became a Vice President.
Just as she was about to be cornered on her undocumented status, she confided to a friend, who offered to marry her, thus allowing her to get a legitimate green card and eventually apply for citizenship.
Julissa's story humanizes "illegal aliens" and shows how children can be caught between two countries through no fault of their own, to be at the mercy of the system. This book illustrates beautifully how there needs to be some kind of program so that people caught in this nightmare of red tape can come forward and become a legal citizen. I was also astonished at the cost of citizenship. It took her $20,000 for fees.
This being said, I have to admit I didn't like Julissa much at all. Her family of origin was highly dysfunctional, with her parents gone months at a time. Becoming rich was a priority and Julissa was left in the care of her grandmother, who loved her dearly, but Julissa missed her parents terribly. Months or even years passed without seeing them. They would promise to come to special events only to disappoint her. She acted out and horrified her parents so much that they brought her to the US with them, where she was immersed into a completely new culture and expected to do well. Her visa lapsed and that is when her status became undocumented.
Julissa's father was an alcoholic and abusive. One night in fear of another drunken rage, Julissa called the police. Her parents went back to Mexico, but Julissa was left in limbo.
I admired Julissa's drive to do well, but her definition of well was becoming rich. Her descriptions of her successes and honors came across as bragging. She didn't seem to be capable of really caring for people. She spent page after page about herself, but barely scratched the surface of her marriage to Jeff and was very unsupportive when he was laid off. She never seemed to appreciate the fact that he saved her from deportation. When he got a job offer in another city after a year's unemployment, she wasn't about to leave her job to go with him. Julissa never talked about Jeff's feelings or the fallout. She just focused on achieving her dreams and goals without recognizing that she owed a huge debt to him and to others who helped her along the way. Her loyalties always lay with herself.
Julissa is young. She seems to be slowly realizing that there is more to life than making it rich. She is finishing a house for her family in Mexico, and has worked for some nonprofits and seems determined to use her skills to help other undocumented immigrants by sharing her story. I would have enjoyed some depth to the relationships of her story and am interested in her enough to want to continue to follow her progress.
Julissa graduated college (the University of Texas) with honors and landed a job on Wall Street with Goldman Sachs. By dedication and very hard work, she became a Vice President.
Just as she was about to be cornered on her undocumented status, she confided to a friend, who offered to marry her, thus allowing her to get a legitimate green card and eventually apply for citizenship.
Julissa's story humanizes "illegal aliens" and shows how children can be caught between two countries through no fault of their own, to be at the mercy of the system. This book illustrates beautifully how there needs to be some kind of program so that people caught in this nightmare of red tape can come forward and become a legal citizen. I was also astonished at the cost of citizenship. It took her $20,000 for fees.
This being said, I have to admit I didn't like Julissa much at all. Her family of origin was highly dysfunctional, with her parents gone months at a time. Becoming rich was a priority and Julissa was left in the care of her grandmother, who loved her dearly, but Julissa missed her parents terribly. Months or even years passed without seeing them. They would promise to come to special events only to disappoint her. She acted out and horrified her parents so much that they brought her to the US with them, where she was immersed into a completely new culture and expected to do well. Her visa lapsed and that is when her status became undocumented.
Julissa's father was an alcoholic and abusive. One night in fear of another drunken rage, Julissa called the police. Her parents went back to Mexico, but Julissa was left in limbo.
I admired Julissa's drive to do well, but her definition of well was becoming rich. Her descriptions of her successes and honors came across as bragging. She didn't seem to be capable of really caring for people. She spent page after page about herself, but barely scratched the surface of her marriage to Jeff and was very unsupportive when he was laid off. She never seemed to appreciate the fact that he saved her from deportation. When he got a job offer in another city after a year's unemployment, she wasn't about to leave her job to go with him. Julissa never talked about Jeff's feelings or the fallout. She just focused on achieving her dreams and goals without recognizing that she owed a huge debt to him and to others who helped her along the way. Her loyalties always lay with herself.
Julissa is young. She seems to be slowly realizing that there is more to life than making it rich. She is finishing a house for her family in Mexico, and has worked for some nonprofits and seems determined to use her skills to help other undocumented immigrants by sharing her story. I would have enjoyed some depth to the relationships of her story and am interested in her enough to want to continue to follow her progress.
August 10, 2017
I commend Julissa Arce for her drive and intensity, she has every right to be very proud of her accomplishments while under constant stress and at risk of deportation. Since she mentioned her intention to write a follow-up book, I wish she would have stuck to the roadmap indicated by her subtitle here; but instead she continued past her Wall Street career when the story became as all-over-the-place as her life struck me as being (multiple failed startups, weird religion involvement, random and short-lived commitments to various philanthropies). It's cool that she was covered in Elle magazine, I would've liked to have seen excerpts. I could end my review right here and be fine, but I do have many thoughts about why I didn't like this more.
Arce is a competent writer, but comes across as rather immature and rash to me, i.e., her residual issues stemming from missing her quinceañera, and the extent to which she waxed on about the significance of her tattoos. While I did not like how self-involved she is, I get that that's part and parcel of the memoir genre. But omg this made me chortle: "Over the course of 2015, I would have hour-long conversations with some of the most recognized producers in Hollywood and meet with some of the most iconic business leaders in the United States. Every single one of them was intrigued by my story." It's hard to mock someone who survives such an epic journey, for coming across as self-congratulatory; but there are many successful memoirs out there about how great people are, that do not grate.
Fibromyalgia is a terrible illness that is stress-related and tends to target a profile that Arce personifies - Type-A female in 30s; but to me she seems woefully uninformed as to its proper treatment. I found other contradictions as well, like how much she's sacrificed and how hard working she is, but then she doesn't know how to cook rice? And instead of going back to work after she gets her green card in the morning, she takes the entire day off to celebrate? Not only that, but she calls her newly unemployed husband at his temp job and makes him leave early too? That doesn't strike me as very professional.
There were several interesting aspects of her unique life that I really wish she had addressed. Her loneliness for example, it seemed she craves a loving relationship with a spouse but can't help prioritizing her family members. It would have been interesting to learn when and how she found religion - her prophet Jim Laffoon of "Every Nation" faith is quoted as saying that EN is part of God's plan to retake the world from the devil. Hmmm, ok. I wonder when she found religion, and what her family made of EN or how it aligns with Mexican Catholicism. She mentioned she's not the only Hispanic woman at Goldman Sachs, but she doesn't tell us how they interacted or why they didn't. Furthermore, there has long been a stereotype that Latinas (like Asian women) are subservient and submissive, and I'd be interested to hear her address that; but I'm not sure she's even aware of it aside from acknowledging how naive and sheltered she was and detailing (to a cringe-worthy extent) how long she was taken advantage of by such and such an ex.
Arce is a competent writer, but comes across as rather immature and rash to me, i.e., her residual issues stemming from missing her quinceañera, and the extent to which she waxed on about the significance of her tattoos. While I did not like how self-involved she is, I get that that's part and parcel of the memoir genre. But omg this made me chortle: "Over the course of 2015, I would have hour-long conversations with some of the most recognized producers in Hollywood and meet with some of the most iconic business leaders in the United States. Every single one of them was intrigued by my story." It's hard to mock someone who survives such an epic journey, for coming across as self-congratulatory; but there are many successful memoirs out there about how great people are, that do not grate.
Fibromyalgia is a terrible illness that is stress-related and tends to target a profile that Arce personifies - Type-A female in 30s; but to me she seems woefully uninformed as to its proper treatment. I found other contradictions as well, like how much she's sacrificed and how hard working she is, but then she doesn't know how to cook rice? And instead of going back to work after she gets her green card in the morning, she takes the entire day off to celebrate? Not only that, but she calls her newly unemployed husband at his temp job and makes him leave early too? That doesn't strike me as very professional.
There were several interesting aspects of her unique life that I really wish she had addressed. Her loneliness for example, it seemed she craves a loving relationship with a spouse but can't help prioritizing her family members. It would have been interesting to learn when and how she found religion - her prophet Jim Laffoon of "Every Nation" faith is quoted as saying that EN is part of God's plan to retake the world from the devil. Hmmm, ok. I wonder when she found religion, and what her family made of EN or how it aligns with Mexican Catholicism. She mentioned she's not the only Hispanic woman at Goldman Sachs, but she doesn't tell us how they interacted or why they didn't. Furthermore, there has long been a stereotype that Latinas (like Asian women) are subservient and submissive, and I'd be interested to hear her address that; but I'm not sure she's even aware of it aside from acknowledging how naive and sheltered she was and detailing (to a cringe-worthy extent) how long she was taken advantage of by such and such an ex.
January 23, 2017
This book isn't worth your time. It's poorly written by a privileged, entitled, self-centered author who wants us to feel sorry for her. I had no pity or sympathy for her as she climbed on the backs of her family, friends and ex-husband to get rich (her interpretation of the American Dream).
If she's so interested in giving back and helping those less fortunate, why isn't she working to improve the lives of others in her home country where she has family.
I hope I can find a better book on this topic.
If she's so interested in giving back and helping those less fortunate, why isn't she working to improve the lives of others in her home country where she has family.
I hope I can find a better book on this topic.
not-finishing
March 5, 2020I am extremely sympathetic to the group that Arce is positioning herself as representative of -- undocumented immigrants who need a path forward to legality -- and I am sympathetic to Arce in the human sense, but as a person I do not enjoy sitting and listening to her talk about her life; she does not seem to question her assumptions or have much compassion for other people and their points of view. And that is fine, it is a memoir, but not one I want to keep reading. [Mar 2020]
September 5, 2023
This book transported me to my college self and reminded me of all the struggles and moments of empowerment as I navigated the college world and entering the workforce. Julissa Arce places the reader in her shoes and beautifully describes her first-gen and undocumented experience in the different worlds she entered. Loooooved!
January 31, 2018
Julissa Arce is an inspiration. I found the book especially interesting because of the Dream Act that is now being debated. Amazing how politics can dehumanize and complicate matters. Julissa will be a speaker at the 2018 BookFestival in San Antonio. I can't wait to see her.
July 4, 2017
I highly recommend this book. Facts and figures are interspersed throughout her sharing of her journey.
February 5, 2019
I absolutely loved this autobiography! If you are looking for self-help books to becoming a successful wallstreet executive, there are better books out there (which the author even mentions in this one). However, if you simply love hearing others' stories, this is an excellent choice. Julissa's life perfectly aligns with the up and down arcs of a novel and each chapter, each paragraph, each sentence leaves you wondering what will happen next. The suspense she creates is not artificial but borne out of authentic experiences. It's a story of fear and stress, of love and family, and of self-discovery to which every person can relate; it's a story of life.
At the same time, it's a story of an underrepresented group-- undocumented immigrants. Julissa rarely gets political or pushes an agenda though. She simply conveys her raw truth.
I briefly read some of the negative reviews of the book, and many people criticized the "all over the place" sense they got from the novel; they say it was poorly edited, but I believe that's just how life is sometimes. In addition, they remarked on Julissa's lack of self-awareness and lack of advocacy throughout the book. However, I think this just added to the authenticity of the coming-of-age story woven. It was only towards the end of the book (as the author enters her 30's) that she has obtained citizenship and a deep sense of financial security which allow her the emotional and mental space to critically examine her life and her country. The book was not a straight-forward critique of the US immigration laws (there are other books for that). It was an auto-biography and read as such. I expect Julissa Arce to continue to grow as an individual, and I anticipate great things as she does.
At the same time, it's a story of an underrepresented group-- undocumented immigrants. Julissa rarely gets political or pushes an agenda though. She simply conveys her raw truth.
I briefly read some of the negative reviews of the book, and many people criticized the "all over the place" sense they got from the novel; they say it was poorly edited, but I believe that's just how life is sometimes. In addition, they remarked on Julissa's lack of self-awareness and lack of advocacy throughout the book. However, I think this just added to the authenticity of the coming-of-age story woven. It was only towards the end of the book (as the author enters her 30's) that she has obtained citizenship and a deep sense of financial security which allow her the emotional and mental space to critically examine her life and her country. The book was not a straight-forward critique of the US immigration laws (there are other books for that). It was an auto-biography and read as such. I expect Julissa Arce to continue to grow as an individual, and I anticipate great things as she does.
February 4, 2022
I mean, the title is a spoiler... This is another IMPORTANT read, a must-read, really. I can't imagine the anxiety that comes with being undocumented. Thank you Julissa for sharing your story. I am blown away. I am only a year or two younger than the author and am cannot begin to fathom how much harder she worked (than me) than those around her with so many advantages. And even then, so many circumstances had to line up just right. What an amazing story
September 27, 2021
I highly recommend this book. Julissa does a great job of really making you feel her story. She helps to humanize the undocumented experience. I feel that often times people can't empathize when they don't feel a direct connection or don't know an actual story that they can reference. There's so many amazing nuggets in this book and so many situations that all Latine and none Latine undocumented people in general can connect with and relate with.
August 16, 2020
I really enjoyed this detailed account of a young Mexican immigrant making her dreams come true in America.
February 11, 2025
Beautiful book. At this day and age, it’s so important to read about different perspectives, especially on immigration.
June 10, 2017
Julissa Arce's story of being brought to the US at age 11 on a tourist visa to be with her parents who were working legally in the US, but then overstayed her visa and discovered, as so many children of immigrants do when it is time to apply to college, that their status is undocumented, is powerful, and an excellent illustration of why the DREAM act and other paths to citizenship are so critical. And of how Mexico pays all the costs of the "reproduction of the work force" while the US reaps the "productive years." Workers who become too old or sick to work return to Mexico, never receiving any of the benefits of the taxes and social security they have paid throughout their "productive" years.
Not a perfect book - she is a young woman who was trained as a financial analyst, not as a writer - but her story is poignant and important. Yes she worked hard - running a funnel cake stand on the weekends to finance her college (something that would be much more difficult in this day of inflated college tuition) - studied hard, became involved in all the right activities and social organizations and landed a job at Goldman Sachs moving up to Vice President. But she could not have done any of this if the State of Texas hadn't passed HB 1403 just as she graduated high school - allowing undocumented students to not only attend Texas universities, but to pay in state tuition and to be eligible for limited financial help. If her parents hadn't been allowed to work legally in the US for years selling jewelry they brought in from Taxco, her hometown. If -everify and other cross-checking paperwork requirements were in place as they are today when she applied at Goldman Sachs. (yuk Goldman Sachs - one of the hardest parts of the story. Understandable a poor, business savvy young woman would want to make as much money as possible, but GS?)
Even with all of these "lucky"? (she is very very Christian and attributes most of her success and breaks to God) breaks, she suffers intense health problems as a result of the stress of keeping secret her undocumented status. She is trapped in the US unable to visit her family in Mexico, even as her father lies dying. She is constantly forced to choose between her career and her family in ways we can't imagine. Every time she drinks at a bar, drives a car, fills out the simplest paperwork her heart pounds with fear that her undocumented status will be discovered. She can't open a bank account, requiring her to run the funnel cake stand all with cash and hide cash literally under her mattress at college, leaving her very vulnerable. She points out with statistics to back her up, that she, like hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers, pays taxes and social security, although they will never receive benefits from those taxes paid. Reminds us that undocumented persons are not eligible for food stamps or housing or other government assistance. In fact, when her mother gets badly hurt she is forced to return to Mexico to be cared for there.
Impressive story of a determined young woman, which she uses as a rally cry for more humane immigration policies. I hope people will not use this as an argument that anyone who wants to can "pull themselves up by their boot straps." If you are tempted, I encourage you to listen to the Radiolab series "Busted: America's Poverty Myths" particularly episode 3 "Rags to Riches." http://www.wnyc.org/series/busted-ame...
Not a perfect book - she is a young woman who was trained as a financial analyst, not as a writer - but her story is poignant and important. Yes she worked hard - running a funnel cake stand on the weekends to finance her college (something that would be much more difficult in this day of inflated college tuition) - studied hard, became involved in all the right activities and social organizations and landed a job at Goldman Sachs moving up to Vice President. But she could not have done any of this if the State of Texas hadn't passed HB 1403 just as she graduated high school - allowing undocumented students to not only attend Texas universities, but to pay in state tuition and to be eligible for limited financial help. If her parents hadn't been allowed to work legally in the US for years selling jewelry they brought in from Taxco, her hometown. If -everify and other cross-checking paperwork requirements were in place as they are today when she applied at Goldman Sachs. (yuk Goldman Sachs - one of the hardest parts of the story. Understandable a poor, business savvy young woman would want to make as much money as possible, but GS?)
Even with all of these "lucky"? (she is very very Christian and attributes most of her success and breaks to God) breaks, she suffers intense health problems as a result of the stress of keeping secret her undocumented status. She is trapped in the US unable to visit her family in Mexico, even as her father lies dying. She is constantly forced to choose between her career and her family in ways we can't imagine. Every time she drinks at a bar, drives a car, fills out the simplest paperwork her heart pounds with fear that her undocumented status will be discovered. She can't open a bank account, requiring her to run the funnel cake stand all with cash and hide cash literally under her mattress at college, leaving her very vulnerable. She points out with statistics to back her up, that she, like hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers, pays taxes and social security, although they will never receive benefits from those taxes paid. Reminds us that undocumented persons are not eligible for food stamps or housing or other government assistance. In fact, when her mother gets badly hurt she is forced to return to Mexico to be cared for there.
Impressive story of a determined young woman, which she uses as a rally cry for more humane immigration policies. I hope people will not use this as an argument that anyone who wants to can "pull themselves up by their boot straps." If you are tempted, I encourage you to listen to the Radiolab series "Busted: America's Poverty Myths" particularly episode 3 "Rags to Riches." http://www.wnyc.org/series/busted-ame...
November 20, 2016
Can you tackle the tricky politics of Wall Street head-on, and win?
Can you do the above, as a woman? As a Latina?
Well, how about as an undocumented immigrant in the United States?
Seems almost near to impossible, doesn't it?
Not for Julissa Arce.
Living in Taxco, Mexico with her family, Julissa felt the pangs of separation from her parents, as they worked in the US to provide for their family. Reunion would seem the easy solution to such a predicament. However, even with her parents by her side, Julissa was on a rough road. A road where familial pressures, such as her father's alcoholism and the hiccups in her parents' silver trading business, seem minuscule to the dark truth of Julissa's immigration status after her tourist visa expires, rendering her an undocumented individual.
Coupled with the challenges of learning English and her family's struggle to make ends meet in San Antonio, education worked out to become one of her greatest assets. Additionally, her determination and perseverance against her staggering odds led her to one of the greatest 'streets' known to the world: Wall Street. Her subsequent success on Wall Street can be attributed to her rigorous participation in business student associations at her alma mater, University of Austin. Her constant fear of getting caught using false documents for employment is one that is conveyed to the readers, as well as the rest of the memoir, as of an individual that wishes to come out of the shadows and rid herself of a burden that's weighing her down, but cannot due to the circumstances.
Beautifully written, Julissa's story strikes a chord with almost anyone who takes the time to read this memoir. Whether or not you know of anyone that is undocumented, or happen to be an undocumented immigrant yourself, Julissa's story only further exemplifies the struggles to achieve the American dream, especially if the definition of 'American' cannot be applied to one trying to fulfill their dreams, from an immigration standpoint. However, Julissa not only proves to her readers that anything is possible, but that with faith, and the drive to succeed under your belt, no one can get in the way of your dreams. Also, she has effortlessly shown us that in a world where racism and bigotry plague our society, being an 'American' means a whole lot more than simply being a citizen of the United States.
Julissa's strive for excellence started when she began to take grasp of her life, to create a path of success that maybe even she did not know that she would travel on. From this point, I consider to be an American citizen, as she exemplified true American values.
Poignant, and a highly recommended read!
Can you do the above, as a woman? As a Latina?
Well, how about as an undocumented immigrant in the United States?
Seems almost near to impossible, doesn't it?
Not for Julissa Arce.
Living in Taxco, Mexico with her family, Julissa felt the pangs of separation from her parents, as they worked in the US to provide for their family. Reunion would seem the easy solution to such a predicament. However, even with her parents by her side, Julissa was on a rough road. A road where familial pressures, such as her father's alcoholism and the hiccups in her parents' silver trading business, seem minuscule to the dark truth of Julissa's immigration status after her tourist visa expires, rendering her an undocumented individual.
Coupled with the challenges of learning English and her family's struggle to make ends meet in San Antonio, education worked out to become one of her greatest assets. Additionally, her determination and perseverance against her staggering odds led her to one of the greatest 'streets' known to the world: Wall Street. Her subsequent success on Wall Street can be attributed to her rigorous participation in business student associations at her alma mater, University of Austin. Her constant fear of getting caught using false documents for employment is one that is conveyed to the readers, as well as the rest of the memoir, as of an individual that wishes to come out of the shadows and rid herself of a burden that's weighing her down, but cannot due to the circumstances.
Beautifully written, Julissa's story strikes a chord with almost anyone who takes the time to read this memoir. Whether or not you know of anyone that is undocumented, or happen to be an undocumented immigrant yourself, Julissa's story only further exemplifies the struggles to achieve the American dream, especially if the definition of 'American' cannot be applied to one trying to fulfill their dreams, from an immigration standpoint. However, Julissa not only proves to her readers that anything is possible, but that with faith, and the drive to succeed under your belt, no one can get in the way of your dreams. Also, she has effortlessly shown us that in a world where racism and bigotry plague our society, being an 'American' means a whole lot more than simply being a citizen of the United States.
Julissa's strive for excellence started when she began to take grasp of her life, to create a path of success that maybe even she did not know that she would travel on. From this point, I consider to be an American citizen, as she exemplified true American values.
Poignant, and a highly recommended read!
March 25, 2018
Recently acquiring a list of texts that deal with immigration from our local Barnes & Noble supplier, this was in the suggestions. As an educator, I was drawn to her story - and certainly to the moments of living on the edge of losing everything or making one's way with just a simple correct or wrong turn. Add into that equation the aspects of one's family also being at stake, and you have experiences that only individuals that are struggling to find a way to improve their life based on a solid education that that can achieve could feel.
I have been lucky enough to live in another country for several years and experience the issue of immigration, citizenship, and the right to love and work in a foreign country, as well as individuals not born in the United States striving for this dream. There are so many facets and angles to this issue, and not just one issue, that it is mind boggling. Imagine then being IN that situation and dilemma trying to navigate the possibilities. Even more mind-boggling. Rarely do we as born and raised in the United States have a chance to experience situations and dilemmas outside of our experience, often we take these for granted, and minimally are we able to relate to aspects outside of our own personal situations. When we are able to, and sometimes force ourselves to, we grow as individuals and learn so much more about others, as well as ourselves.
I felt so much of the anxiety and unknown answers that author Julissa asks about herself, her family, and the world around her, as well as her place in it. I related to her initial need for anyway, anyhow, reliance on finding out how to earn money that buys promise, to find that money is just one aspect that often cannot, and will not buy the happiness, but sometimes the security. There were moments where I struggled to discover her true voice, and sometimes felt she lost her way, as well as initial voice of what she was trying to discover, but I think that is also part of this journey she travelled.
There is a deep and resonating message within her experiences, and this alone is worth the read to put yourself out of any familiar elements that so often we become comfortable with, and often means a new perspective on the world around us. This is often needed for personal growth and understanding. One sees the precarious moments that Julissa Arce navigated through, and the personal revelations these revealed - that alone is priceless to experience with her as an author.
I have been lucky enough to live in another country for several years and experience the issue of immigration, citizenship, and the right to love and work in a foreign country, as well as individuals not born in the United States striving for this dream. There are so many facets and angles to this issue, and not just one issue, that it is mind boggling. Imagine then being IN that situation and dilemma trying to navigate the possibilities. Even more mind-boggling. Rarely do we as born and raised in the United States have a chance to experience situations and dilemmas outside of our experience, often we take these for granted, and minimally are we able to relate to aspects outside of our own personal situations. When we are able to, and sometimes force ourselves to, we grow as individuals and learn so much more about others, as well as ourselves.
I felt so much of the anxiety and unknown answers that author Julissa asks about herself, her family, and the world around her, as well as her place in it. I related to her initial need for anyway, anyhow, reliance on finding out how to earn money that buys promise, to find that money is just one aspect that often cannot, and will not buy the happiness, but sometimes the security. There were moments where I struggled to discover her true voice, and sometimes felt she lost her way, as well as initial voice of what she was trying to discover, but I think that is also part of this journey she travelled.
There is a deep and resonating message within her experiences, and this alone is worth the read to put yourself out of any familiar elements that so often we become comfortable with, and often means a new perspective on the world around us. This is often needed for personal growth and understanding. One sees the precarious moments that Julissa Arce navigated through, and the personal revelations these revealed - that alone is priceless to experience with her as an author.
November 23, 2018
My (Undocumented) American Dream, Julissa Arce's story of making her way through life as an undocumented immigrant after the visa her parents brought her into the country with when she was eleven expired, is undoubtedly an important own-voices narrative of experiences that speak to one of the major issues of our times.
It's also really hard for me to relate to.
When Arce talks about the shock and betrayal of suddenly discovering upon applying to college that she's not actually a citizen, I was there. When she discusses the struggle of making ends meet and her desire to help make a better life for her family, I was there. When she makes it her personal mission to blow the performance of every single one of her coworkers in a male-dominated field out of the water, I was almost there...except she's working at her dream job at Goldman Sachs, a firm that she spends much of the rest of the book un-ironically extolling the virtues of and very carefully eliding any discussion of the 2008 financial crisis and the role that firm (and by extension herself) might have played in it.
And that's before she tells the story about celebrating her birthday by renting out a bunch of clubs that she and her friends travel between via a Hummer limousine with a stripper pole in the back.
Between the book's endless obsession with conspicuous consumption and the author's shocking inability to mentally connect the recurrent medical problems she suffered with the emotional stress that was clearly causing it, I had immense difficulty sympathizing with her as a person. The style of the writing, which is very basic and workmanlike, may have exacerbated the issue; perhaps Arce's inexperience as an author hamstrung her ability to express her motivations in a way I could understand. More likely, I just have a thing about investment bankers, though I'm pretty sure that even had she been a doctor that Hummer-with-a-stripper-pole thing would have put me off.
While I'm glad that this book exists, and that the author has been able to parlay it into a career in activism that allows her to speak to a broader audience about immigration issues, I personally cannot get past her obsession with buying her way into her vision of the American Dream. That doesn't stop me from being happy she had a chance to tell her story, or from hoping that it speaks more clearly to other people than it did to me.
It's also really hard for me to relate to.
When Arce talks about the shock and betrayal of suddenly discovering upon applying to college that she's not actually a citizen, I was there. When she discusses the struggle of making ends meet and her desire to help make a better life for her family, I was there. When she makes it her personal mission to blow the performance of every single one of her coworkers in a male-dominated field out of the water, I was almost there...except she's working at her dream job at Goldman Sachs, a firm that she spends much of the rest of the book un-ironically extolling the virtues of and very carefully eliding any discussion of the 2008 financial crisis and the role that firm (and by extension herself) might have played in it.
And that's before she tells the story about celebrating her birthday by renting out a bunch of clubs that she and her friends travel between via a Hummer limousine with a stripper pole in the back.
Between the book's endless obsession with conspicuous consumption and the author's shocking inability to mentally connect the recurrent medical problems she suffered with the emotional stress that was clearly causing it, I had immense difficulty sympathizing with her as a person. The style of the writing, which is very basic and workmanlike, may have exacerbated the issue; perhaps Arce's inexperience as an author hamstrung her ability to express her motivations in a way I could understand. More likely, I just have a thing about investment bankers, though I'm pretty sure that even had she been a doctor that Hummer-with-a-stripper-pole thing would have put me off.
While I'm glad that this book exists, and that the author has been able to parlay it into a career in activism that allows her to speak to a broader audience about immigration issues, I personally cannot get past her obsession with buying her way into her vision of the American Dream. That doesn't stop me from being happy she had a chance to tell her story, or from hoping that it speaks more clearly to other people than it did to me.
June 14, 2016
Julissa Arce's parents were working legally in the United States while she and her older sisters lived with her extended family in Mexico. Her younger brother was born in the United States. When Julissa started acting out in school at age 11, her parents brought her to live with them. She had no idea that it was illegal for her to go to school. She didn't know that she had outstayed her visa until her mother explained that she couldn't go back to Mexico for her quinceanera because she wouldn't be able to come back into the United States.
She was a star student but was not accepted to any colleges because she didn't have a social security number. At this point Texas passed a law that allowed undocumented students to go to college at Texas state schools. This allowed her to be able to go to school.
I was conflicted when reading this book. I think people should follow the rules of the country they live in. I also think that it should be much, much easier for people to come to the United States from Latin America so people aren't required to sneak into the country. Julissa also buys fake documents as an adult to be able to get a job. I can see that she was brought into the country by her parents and she had no intent to do anything wrong at that point, but now she was actively breaking the law because she felt she was entitled to stay here and get a very high paying job. She talked a little bit about whether or not she should go back to Mexico because she would be able to get a very good job so it wasn't like she didn't have options. She also marries specifically get to a green card. The more unethical things she does, the less sympathy I retained for her.
This book made me understand the issues around children of undocumented immigrants. They are stuck as they become adults. I think there should be a way for these children to be able to be legally documented.
First come first served and if you want to throw in a few dollars for shipping that would be great but not required.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
November 3, 2018
Julissa Arce came to the United States with her Mexican passport when she was a little girl to be with her parents, who worked and ran a business in Texas. When her visa ran out, her folks failed to renew it for her, which prevented her from traveling back and forth between Texas and Mexico. Julissa started to learn what her undocumented status meant when she was unable to have her quinceañera with her family back in Mexico. In fact, she didn’t have a party at all. Her parents had fallen on hard times and Julissa had to help them with their various business endeavors, as well as caring for her younger brother, Julio. As she grew older, her fears about her status and about being deported also grew. There were so many things she had to worry about, because any mistake could bring her to the attention of the wrong person and she’d be sent back to Mexico. That didn’t stop Julissa from doing her best – once she set her mind to accomplishing something, she always worked hard to achieve her goals. When she applied to colleges, however, she learned that no schools would even review her applications without a Social Security number (which she didn’t have). Fortunately (and coincidentally), Texas passed a law that enabled Julissa to apply to and attend a school in Texas. She was even able to receive some financial aid. She worked incessantly to finish her degree in finance and her internship with Goldman Sachs turned into a lucrative job offer. Although she was successful and confident on the outside, Julissa was a mess internally. Stress and anxiety and pain had her seeking medical advice, but nothing seemed to alleviate her symptoms. When she married her best friend, Jeff, she was able to get her green card, and several years later she began the process of applying for US citizenship. While it was a relief to finally be “legal,” Julissa realized that the financial sector was not where she wanted or needed to be. She took time off to travel and figure out who and what she wanted to be, which led her to become an advocate for other people in her situation. Julissa’s inspiring story and her determination is a beacon to anyone who has wanted to live the “American Dream” – whether they are citizens or not. May the United States become a more welcoming place for everyone who wants to change their lives for the better.
January 16, 2019
Interesting story. Lots of interesting points to discuss.
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