Stories of undocumented immigrants are often couched in terms of silence and invisibility, using expressions like “living in the shadows” and “under the radar.” Many Immigrant rights activists, on the other hand, resist this silence and invisibility and see storytelling as a political act that makes the humanity of the undocumented impossible to ignore. This class is about the politics and literature of visibility in narratives that reveal undocumented lives, as well as the theory of literature as a tool for social justice. The texts we will study illuminate the people and circumstances behind undocumented immigration, the policies that make documentation precarious and out of reach, and the sweeping generalizations and dehumanization behind terms like “illegal alien.”

In this class, we will explore how the literature of immigration has created a space for narrating undocumented lives. We will explore how shifting states of documentation - and the consequences of those shifting states - are rendered visible in fiction, poetry, essays, memoirs, oral histories, journalism, and works of visual art. Texts include Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn, Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli, Dominicana by Angie Cruz, essays by Jose Antonio Vargas, and others.

Course Requirements:

Regular participation in class discussions is a key component of the class. Requirements also include weekly readings, short reading responses, a presentation, and a final project.

Intended Audience:

This class is ideal for students at all levels who are interested in thinking critically about literature through the lens of social justice.