We Are Here to Stay: Voices of Undocumented Young Adults

I am very excited to see that WE ARE HERE TO STAY: VOICES OF UNDOCUMENTED YOUNG ADULTS by Susan Kuklin is being released today in the midst of National Migration Week as the discussion of a border wall continues. Kuklin (who also wrote Beyond Magenta) says, “it is my dream that that the stories of the nine young people in WE ARE HERE TO STAY will encourage and facilitate an informed and honest conversation about the complexities of immigration.  It is also my hope that we can one day republish this book with the participants’ names, places, and photographs fully intact.”  

 Originally scheduled for publication in 2017, this book was put on hold due to proposed changes in DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).  However, the young interviewees wanted to be able to tell their stories so it is being released. Kuklin includes many often lengthy discussions and quotes which make for an informative and sometimes heart-wrenching text.  The nine young adults who tell their stories come from different places including Mexico, Ghana, Independent Samoa, and South Korea, but they all will inspire hope and empathy. They speak so honestly and freely about their feelings about living in America, making this an important book to read and one that helps personalize the situation. 

In fact, Kirkus calls WE ARE HERE TO STAY “a must-read” and School Library Journal recommends it for grades 5 and up. Both note the usefulness of the timeline regarding immigration policies and the many resources (list of related books, documentaries, and websites) which are included. They, like the Toolkitsupplied as part of National Migration Week, will indeed inspire conversation and action.