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Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen
Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen
Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen
Audiobook5 hours

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, called “the most famous undocumented immigrant in America,” tackles one of the defining issues of our time in this explosive and deeply personal call to arms.

“This is not a book about the politics of immigration. This book––at it's core––is not about immigration at all. This book is about homelessness, not in a traditional sense, but in the unsettled, unmoored psychological state that undocumented immigrants like myself find ourselves in. This book is about lying and being forced to lie to get by; about passing as an American and as a contributing citizen; about families, keeping them together, and having to make new ones when you can’t. This book is about constantly hiding from the government and, in the process, hiding from ourselves. This book is about what it means to not have a home.

After 25 years of living illegally in a country that does not consider me one of its own, this book is the closest thing I have to freedom.”

—Jose Antonio Vargas, from Dear America

Editor's Note

Insightful and illuminating…

“Dear America” describes both the often misunderstood complexities of undocumented immigration and Jose Antonio Vargas’ experience as one of the most prominent undocumented immigrants. In its best moments, the book is a poignant story of finding a place to belong, and how you can define your own sense of self without a home to anchor to.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateSep 18, 2018
ISBN9780062864611
Author

Jose Antonio Vargas

Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Tony-nominated producer. His work has appeared internationally in Time magazine, as well as in the San Francisco Chronicle, The New Yorker, and the Washington Post. In 2014, he received the Freedom to Write Award from PEN Center USA. A leading voice for the human rights of immigrants, he founded the non-profit media and culture organization Define American, named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company. An elementary school named after him will open in his hometown of Mountain View, California in 2019. 

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Reviews for Dear America

Rating: 4.451020285714285 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

245 ratings16 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a brave and uplifting book! I am so glad I read this.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Well-written and documented that is relatable from any undocumented citizen of this land. Indeed, every word is felt let alone the purpose is clear and well-portrayed. Another literary masterpiece that is honest and unabashed. Well done!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    So personal and captivating. There were some many similarities between his immigration experiences and those I’ve heard from my parents & husband. He was truthful, he was courageous. Highly recommend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really accessibly written. Candidly tackled intersecting topics which are at once personal, political and systemic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I couldn't stop listening. Jose's narrative and journey through our immigration process reminded me of wounds it can leave on entire families as they try so desperately to reunite/live in the land of the free.

    This is a must read for anyone who's willing to listen to and understand the lengths people go through to earn their place in America.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is one of the best book I’ve ever read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A moving novel, written and narrated by Jose Antonio Vargas. I did not want to stop listening to him and reading his story. Very informative, interesting, pertinent, and a must-read/listen to!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Extremely impactful. Made me cry many times. If you want to understand undocumented immigrants struggles this book will help you start that process.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is fabulous! My only regret is waiting so long to read it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Heartbreaking , inspiring and informative. I've been wanting to pick this book up since 2018 and it was even better hearing it read in Vargas' voice. Unforgettable introspection into the nuances of life of an undocumented citizen including their hopes and fears. I appreciate how deep he went to explain all the good and scary points in his life up until this book with historical context of the United States immigration policies.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It is absolutely wonderful. It’s description of being an undocumented immigrant is so inspiring and helps to provide a valuable point of view for the discussion. I loved how the author infused facts into his story making it not in and enlightening but also an informational read. I would recommend this for people from all walks of life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Interesteing book about what it means to live undocumented in the United States. The author was born in the Phillipines and came to this country before reaching teenage. He has made his living as a journalist, writing for a number of nationally known newspapers and magazines. I was somewhat disappointed with the book ending because the author didn't state what he plans to do in the future.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Vargas is a more sympathetic person than Suketu Mehta, who recently wrote This Land is Our Land, on the same subject, although I find him intermittently annoyingly entitled and whiny (see below); he is more likely to be viewed favorably by people other than ardent immigrant advocates. I found Mehta quite alienating; apparently he doesn't consider that his hostility is not likely to encourage people to welcome immigrants.Vargas was unwittingly smuggled into the country illegally, and can't become a citizen or get a green card at this point without going back to the Philippines, likely for about ten years; he ends on a hint of going back to the Philippines, whether or not he comes back. Vargas became tired of the multiple lies and dodges needed to keep his secret, and made his status public, first in an article and then in this book. I checked recently, and he has not been deported, although he has certainly been threatened with it. The ICE may have heeded Mark Twain's advice about not arguing with someone who buys ink by the barrel, or, alternatively, has friends with lots of access to the media, despite his his view of himself as lonely and isolated.I have realized lately the importance of context: I'm a moderate (or conservative anarchist, as my friends prefer), basically living in LiberalLand. Except for a couple of relatives, who are capable of holding reasonable, civil conversations, I have very little direct contact with Conservatives, and what contact I have is not encouraging. I don't have a working television set, my home access to the Internet to limited to my iPhone (and reception is limited here), I don't use social media. I used to read some Patheos blogs, but now I don't. I am still affected by the hardening divide and people's rigid opinions; I am so alienated now as to feel adrift. If I had heard Vargas's story fifteen years ago or so, my reaction would have been that we shouldn't waste our time and energy on fussing – just give the man a green card, and ask if his Mother, in the Philippines, wanted one too. On the other hand, I understand why people waited years to get a visa resent amnesty for people who didn't, and people who don't have family here resent that chain migration takes up so many visas (72% last I read; one of those “whose ox is getting gored?” issues.) Things have gotten belligerent, and I don't respond well to belligerence. I'm very open to negotiating for more space for asylum seekers and refugees. I was stunned at the idea of having no immigrants, that's what we do and who we are. I don't, however, believe in open borders or admitting known criminals. It doesn't seem to me to be a good plan to admit people who are fleeing gangsters and also admit the gangsters. That's when the insults, literal yelling, and its written equivalent begin. On blogs and in person, or in books, immigration advocates have made it quite clear that in that case, I am a racist hater of all immigrants. There was the comments for one blog seemed to consist of nothing other than escalating insults to Trump supporters. I commented (and was ignored) that, call people any names you like, they're still on the voting rolls. I once asked (and was ignored) if they seriously thought that profanity-laced insults changed anyone's mind, fun though they may be for the person issuing them. How'd that work out for the Westboro Baptist Church? There is always the chance that it will backfire. If people don't like the activist, they might turn against their cause as well. There is no discussion, no middle ground, no compromise, no concern for anyone else's point of view. I think that's wrong, stupid, and extremely dangerous. Cesar Chavez opposed unlimited immigration for fear it would undermine his efforts at unionization. I have been told that we are running out of workers because we don't admit anyone, except for a few whites, and chain migration is rare (see above). Never mind that we admit around a million people a year, plus tens of thousands of people with work visas, our foreign-born population is at its highest since the early 20th century, and our ethnic demographics are rapidly changing. I don't know whether to be more insulted at being lied to, or at being thought to be such an ignoramus. Not all Trump supporters are white supremacists, and liberals need all the moderates and swing voters they can get it they want to make any changes. Vargas also seems to be disturbed by this to a degree, which I find heartening – he has a much more complex and interlocking view of issues than the vast majority of people. I am fed up with people arguing with slogans and entitlement. There is a lot of tragedy in the world, but it can't be solved simply: one case is heart-rending, and may be easy to solve; hundreds of millions are overwhelming; Vargas lists 258 million migrants and growing. I think the people whose countries are being flooded should get priority. What I almost never see or hear are realistic plans. My two favorite questions are “who do you mean we?” and “then what happens?” I was dropping a friend off at her house, when she began her usual spiel about illegal immigrants. I put on the parking-brake, and said, “o.k., green cards for everyone here; then what happens?” What happened is that she quickly opened the door and fled. Most Americans aren't interested in deporting illegal immigrants, they are concerned about the future. We supposedly had a deal in the 1980s, but except for the people who got amnesty, not an insignificant gain, it failed completely. The critics proved to be right: it solved none of the issues and we are continue to have the same disagreements. Maybe that's why people are so vehement. Arguing, as Vargas and others do, that one hand we try to limit immigration, and on the other hand have a “help-wanted” sign out, ignores that there are different “we-s” in the USA, that have conflicting interests. So yes, I feel sympathy for Vargas, who didn't create his original problem, but he is also arguing for everyone who wants to be here, and presumably anywhere else, but with little more than sob-stories, not a realistic view at means and consequences. I don't know what we have in place for people, like refugees, who may come with little more on the clothes on their backs, some lacking work and language skills, and need help. That's not a reason to keep everyone out, but just getting people across the border isn't enough. The more a society provides for its own citizens and residents, the more expensive immigrants become, a Liberal conundrum. Should we give priority to people who are losing their countries due to climate change? We are likely to lose a big chunk of our state, and boy, are those people, who pride themselves on their uniqueness going to be unhappy to join the rest of us. More foreign aid might be a great idea, but how do we keep it from being embezzled as so much has been? I end on a trivial note in response to Vargas (this is the whiny part.) Some of the changes that were inflicted on colonies can't be easily reversed; some can. He tells us that “Later I would find out why my name doesn't carry an accent mark. After the Americans forced the Spanish out of the Philippines, their typewriters couldn't type accented words. My name is Jose because of Spanish colonialism. But Jose isn't José because of American imperialism.” That's been a problem in a number of languages with extended Latin alphabets, let alone those with other writing systems. There was no “Å”, “Ł” or “Ҫ” on my typewriter either, but with my wordprocessor, I can enter “é” without even using Insert → Special Character. And if he really wants to fight the lingering traces of imperialism, he could pick a traditional Tagalog name, just as some African-Americans change their names for the same reason.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas is a very powerful memoir. He’s my age so references many events from high school/college that I remember well...except for him it was the time he learned that his grandfather who had come here legally from the Philippines had doctored papers so Jose could make it here. He’s struggled in a limbo and self-doubt ever since. His story is also about the many people (teachers, friends parents, coworkers) to become a successful journalist despite his status. It’s a fast and powerful read that I highly recommend.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I gave up on "Dear America" only after completing about seventy percent of the book. This may be the only book that I read that far through without finishing, so it's one that I'll remember, even if it's only for that reason. So why did I quit on it?Going in, I figured it would offer a heartfelt defense of immigration into this country, especially of the illegal variety, a defense that would, based upon the author's personal experiences, be an understandably one-sided view. That would not - and did not- bother me at all. But I was hoping that if Vargas even bothered to mention that there was another point of view, that he would treat it and those who held it with at least a tiny bit of respect. Instead, Vargas tore into Trump, those who voted for him, and conservatives in general with a dismissive, bigoted, and cruel ferocity that caused me to lose all respect and patience both for him and his little book.Sorry, Mr. Vargas. You had me convinced of your argument for over half the book - then you blew it with your petty attack on anyone who dares question your view of the issue. (And honestly, folks, the book is not particularly well written in the first place - it reads more like a Young Adult book than something meant for adults.)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Disclosure: The author is a friend of my son. This brief book is the personal story of a young Filipino boy brought to the U.S. by his family who discovers he is undocumented just after Congress passed the immigration legislation that made being in the U.S. without documents a crime. Vargas describes his personal journey to a career first in journalism and then in activism, his efforts to change his status and why they have not worked for him. It is a gutsy book that describes a different kind of undocumented immigrant--from Asia, not Mexico or Central America; brought here as a child who later finds out he has believed untruths about himself. Vargas makes clear why the immigration debate is important--human lives are at stake--and why it is so complex and difficult to resolve.