Undocumented in L.A.: An Immigrant's Story (Latin American Silhouettes)

Yamileth's own words.

From start to finish, Undocumented in L.A.: An Immigrant's Story is testimonial literature at its best. This eye-opening work will show the reader the opposition and difficulties undocumented immigrants face in a nation that at first beckons them with freedom, then rejects them with unwelcoming borders and restrictive laws.

Undocumented in L.A.: An Immigrant's Story is an excellent resource for courses in immigration, political science, and social and cultural studies.

Fleeing a generally bleak existence in Nicaragua, Yamileth shepherds her sister's children and her son Miguel over a treacherous route to California. She reaches Los Angeles in 1989 as the local economy sours and outcry against illegal immigrants like themselves swells. A Sandinista supporter who fought for a new life in Nicaragua, she is nonplussed by everyday violence in the U.S. Worries about the children, difficulty finding work, and the threat of deportation darken her dreams of a safe haven. Dianne Walta Hart, her unofficial American sponsor, weaves together Yamileth's words with commentary pointing up inevitable culture clashes. This is a rough-edged, authentic look at the marginal lives led by many illegal immigrants who live among us.