Undocumented America in Literature

This seminar explores the representation of lived experiences, trajectories, and current events vis-à-vis the figure of the undocumented migrant, in contemporary American literature. Testimonial accounts, journalism chronicles, memoirs, poetry, cinematic works, and critical scholarship inform and propel our study of the experience of ('illegal') migrant movement––departure, journey, and arrival––as portrayed in Latino and Latina literature. We will question status designations such as 'illegal,' 'undocumented,' and 'unauthorized'; 'legitimacy' and recognition; the inadmissible and the construction of 'suspect' bodies; social participation in US society.