University Press of Florida Documenting the Undocumented: Latino/a Narratives and Social Justice in the Era of Operation Gatekeeper

Review "A valuable contribution to debates about immigration, bringing into play the interdisciplinary nature of Latino studies."--Latino Studies "Caminero-Santangelo skillfully weaves literary analysis with political history, narrative theory, postcolonial studies, trauma studies, and media analysis. . . . [and] reinvigorates literary criticism on testimonio, narrative, and ethics that began with the Menchú controversy, taking the discussions in multiple, generative trajectories."--Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States "An excellent, broad, and exceptionally thorough study of how narratives about undocumented immigrants can create readerly attention and responsibility."--Small Axe Project Product Description Looking at the work of Latino/a authors who are U.S. citizens, including Junot Diaz, Cristina Garcia, and Julia Alvarez, Marta Caminero- Santangelo examines how writers are increasingly expressing their solidarity with undocumented immigrants. She similarly foregrounds the narratives of the undocumented themselves to show how they are emerging in the public sphere.In this multifaceted issue, the voices are myriad: they challenge common interpretations of “illegal” immigration, explore the inevitable traumas and ethical dilemmas, protest their own silencing in immigration debates, and even capitalize on the topic for the commercial market. This growing body of literature is critical to understanding not only the Latino/a immigrant experience, but also alternative visions of nation and belonging. About the Author Marta Caminero-Santangelo, professor of English at the University of Kansas, USA, is the author of On Latinidad: US Latino Literature and the Construction of Ethnicity and The Madwoman Can’t Speak: Or Why Insanity is Not Subversive.