We Are Here to Stay: Voices of Undocumented Young Adults

Today's non-fiction post is on We Are Here to Stay: Voices of Undocumented Young Adults by Susan Kuklin. It is 192 pages long and is published by Candlewick Press. The has a pair of hands holding up a sign with the title on it. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- With refreshing candor, nine young people speak out about being undocumented.
Meet nine courageous young adult who have lived in the United States with a secret for much of their lives: they are not U.S. citizens. They came from Colombia, Mexico, Ghana, Independent Samoa, And Korea. They came seeking education, fleeing violence, and escaping poverty. All have harrowing, heartbreaking, and hopeful stories about leaving their homeland and starting a new life in America. And all are weary of living in the shadows. We Are Here to Stay is a very different boo from the one it was intended to be when it was originally slated for a 2017 release, illustrated with Susan Kuklin's gorgeous full-color portraits. Since the last presidential election and the repeal of DACA it is no longer safe for these young adults to be identified in photographs or by name. We've replaced their photographs with frames and their names with first initials, but are still honored to publish their stories. Enlightening and honest, these brave accounts encourage open, thoughtful conversation about the complexities of immigration- and the uncertain future of immigrants in America.

Review- An interesting examination about immigration and nine young adults who are caught in the middle of this debate. We get to know nine very different young adults with very different stories, from a Latino woman who walked across the dessert with her sister to a young man from Ghana who was trafficked. There is no one story and no one dream expect that they want to stay in American and be American in all ways. Their identities are protected but it still a risk to have this published with so much information about themselves in it. It is interesting and important to have their voices in this debate about immigration as people who will be the most affected by any laws that are created or enacted. They are honest about their lives, their worries, and what they want from their futures.  An interesting and enlightening read with interesting young adults that have something important to give the topic of immigration and its future.

I give this book a Five out Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given this book by a friend.