The author shares their journey from being undocumented for 21 years to becoming a U.S. citizen. They reflect on the constant fear of deportation instilled by their parents and the existential threat that undocumented individuals face. Among these challenges, literature became a sanctuary for the author, offering a sense of home and identity. They credit teachers and librarians for guiding them through literary worlds that helped them navigate their experiences, ultimately becoming a poet and finding belonging in words and stories.
When my family entered this country, my parents warned me of the possible consequences. If you tell anyone you're illegal, they'll report you to Homeland Security, they'd say.
There's an existential power that deportation holds over the undocumented community. It is another form of death, never to see your loved ones again from home.
Though I claimed no citizenship in the U.S. at the time, I found citizenship in literature. Literature is an easy place to make a home.
They showed me that part of literature's generosity is that one may try a hand in creating it, in joining the great conversation that crisscrosses generations, cultures, languages.
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