Read more
Undocumented Storytellers offers a critical exploration of the ways undocumented immigrants harness the power of storytelling as a means of self-actualization, to mitigate the fear and uncertainty of life without legal status, and to advocate for immigration reform.
About the author
Sarah C. Bishop is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, with affiliations in the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs and the Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College. She is the author of the award-winning book U.S. Media and Migration: Refugee Oral Histories (Routledge, 2016).
Summary
Undocumented Storytellers offers a critical exploration of the ways undocumented immigrants harness the power of storytelling as a means of self-actualization, to mitigate the fear and uncertainty of life without legal status, and to advocate for immigration reform.
Additional text
The book makes a useful contribution to the growing literature on undocumented youth in its inclusion of migrants from diverse nations, including not only Mexico and Central American countries but also Colombia, Bangladesh, South Korea, Philippines, and Hungary, among others. The use of an intersectional lens illustrates the multiple statuses and identities that shape migrant lives. Migrant storytellers challenge flat and exclusionary narratives about undocumented youth, including the "cookie cutter" portrayal of "successful" college students with high grades, which fails to address the limits of US immigration policy or the diversity of immigrant experiences. A chapter on storytelling in digital media demonstrates the ways this forum can break isolation and educate US-born citizens.
