We Are Not Dreamers: Undocumented Scholars Theorize Undocumented Life in the United States

by Leisy J. Abrego (Editor), Genevieve Negron-Gonzales (Editor)

The widely recognized “Dreamer narrative” celebrates the educational and economic achievements of undocumented youth to justify a path to citizenship. While a well-intentioned, strategic tactic to garner political support of undocumented youth, it has promoted the idea that access to citizenship and rights should be granted only to a select group of “deserving” immigrants. The contributors to We Are Not Dreamers—themselves currently or formerly undocumented—poignantly counter the Dreamer narrative by grappling with the nuances of undocumented life in this country. Theorizing those excluded from the Dreamer category—academically struggling students, transgender activists, and queer undocumented parents—the contributors call for an expansive articulation of immigrant rights and justice that recognizes the full humanity of undocumented immigrants while granting full and unconditional rights. Illuminating how various institutions reproduce and benefit from exclusionary narratives, this volume articulates the dangers of the Dreamer narrative and envisions a different way forward.

Contributors. Leisy J. Abrego, Gabrielle Cabrera, Gabriela Garcia Cruz, Lucía León, Katy Joseline Maldonado Dominguez, Grecia Mondragón, Gabriela Monico, Genevieve Negrón-Gonzales, Maria Liliana Ramirez, Joel Sati, Audrey Silvestre, Carolina Valdivia

264 pages, Paperback

Published July 24, 2020

Reviews

[Mayze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished We Are Not Dreamers a compilation of research and interviews from undocumented scholars theorizing undocumented life in the United States edited by Leisy J. Abrego and Genevieve Negrón-Gonzales.This book is the latest in my educational series of understanding the impacts that immigration has on undocumented folks. In my understanding from this book is that the widely recognized "Dreamer narrative" celebrates the educational and economic acheivements of undocumented youth to justify a path to citizenship. While a well-intentioned, strategic tactic to gatner political support of undocumented youth, it has promoted the idea that access to citizenship and rights should be granthed only to a select group of "deserving" immigrants. We Are Not Dreamers specifically addresses the nuances of folks that do not meet that "Dreamer" category including - academically struggling students, transgender activists, and queer undocumented partents. 

I found this book to be both compelling and illuminating. We Are Not Dreamers explores the inherent danger and harm that can be experienced by undocumented folks in the United States, while also exploring protest through sonic spatial entitlement that is often left out of media representations of queer and trans movements. 

I am fortunate to have spent time reading We Are Not Dreamers, and am glad that I got to experience stories from undocumented folks addressing the undocumented experience through their positionality and research. 

I would recommend reading this book as well as Queer and Trans Mirgrations if interested in learning more about the dynamics of immigration globally and nationally. While Queer and Trans Migrations focuses on transnational migrations and policies, We Are Not Dreamers focuses on undocumented life in the United States, specifically in California.