UNDERGROUND AMERICA
Narratives of Undocumented Lives
Edited by Peter Orner
Foreword by Luis Alberto Urrea
They arrive from around the world for countless reasons. Many come simply to make a living. Others are fleeing persecution in their native countries. Millions of immigrants risk deportation and imprisonment by living in the U.S. without legal status. They are living underground, with little protection from exploitation at the hands of human smugglers, employers, or law enforcement. Underground America, the third book in the Voice of Witness series, presents the remarkable oral histories of men and women struggling to carve a life for themselves in the U.S.
Among them are:
FARID, an Iranian-American business owner who employs a number of American citizens while he himself remains undocumented. A critic of the Iranian government, he fears for his safety if he is deported back to his native country.
DIANA, who, along with thousands of other Latino workers, helped rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. After completing her job, she and many others were detained and imprisoned for not having proper documentation.
LISO, a South African woman who was the victim of a bait-and-switch immigration scam. She was enticed to come to the U.S. as a religious missionary, but once here, her sponsors forced her into unpaid domestic labor.
[Read the foreword by Luis Alberto Urrea] [Read the introduction by Peter Orner]
[Read the unpublished narrative of Alejandra] [Buy the book from the McSweeney's store]
| NEWS ABOUT UNDERGROUND AMERICA | ||
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Underground America Philadelphia Event
The editors of Underground America will be in Philadelphia participating in the First Person Arts Festival. Details below:
Underground America in Philadelphia
Wednesday, November 12 Location: Painted Bride Art Center 230 Vine Street Philadelphia PA, 19106 The Bride is located on the north edge of Old City, between 2nd and 3rd Streets on Vine. Time: 8:30-10:30pm Cost: $15 In the overheated debate about immigration, voices of the immigrants themselves are seldom heard. Underground America changes that with a dramatic reading of oral histories by undocumented immigrants that reveals the harrowing ordeals and heart-rending choices they must make every day. A discussion follows with a panel of experts who will address the legal, economic and humanitarian issues surrounding the immigration debate. | ||
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Contemporary Jewish Museum hosting Voice of Witness event
Coinciding with the paperback release of Underground America and the hardcover release of Out of Exile is the arrival of the renowned Storycorps oral history project at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. On October 30 at 7pm, the CJM will host a discussion on the craft of oral history, featuring Voice of Witness editors Dave Eggers, Peter Orner, and Craig Walzer, as well as several narrators from Underground America and Out of Exile. Tickets ...
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San Francisco Chronicle Feature
Chronicle writer Reyhan Harmanci covered the recent Voice of Witness event in San Francisco, and conducted a follow-up email interview with Underground America narrator Lorena. Harmanci says of the book: "The testimony in Underground America gives nuance to the often black-and-white landscape of immigration law."
Click here to read the article and accompanying interview.
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Mexia Daily News Review
Terry Schlichenmeyer (The Bookworm) writes in the Mexia Daily News that "No matter on which side of the (proposed) fence you stand in this issue, you owe it to yourself to read this. Underground America is a book that will definitely make you think." Read her full review of Underground America here.
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Notes From The Undocumented ‘Underground’
Oscar Villalon reported on Underground America for NPR's "Books We Like."
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