We Are Not Dreamers

The widely recognized Dreamer narrative celebrates the educational and economic achievements of undocumented youth to justify a path to citizenship. While a well-intentioned, strategic tactic to garner political support of undocumented youth, it has promoted the idea that access to citizenship and rights should be granted only to a select group of deserving immigrants. The contributors to We Are Not Dreamersthemselves currently or formerly undocumentedpoignantly counter the Dreamer narrative by grappling with the nuances of undocumented life in this country. Theorizing those excluded from the Dreamer categoryacademically struggling students, transgender activists, and queer undocumented parentsthe contributors call for an expansive articulation of immigrant rights and justice that recognizes the full humanity of undocumented immigrants while granting full and unconditional rights. Illuminating how various institutions reproduce and benefit from exclusionary narratives, this volume articulates the dangers of the Dreamer narrative and envisions a different way forward. Contributors. Leisy J. Abrego, Gabrielle Cabrera, Gabriela Garcia Cruz, Luca Len, Katy Joseline Maldonado Dominguez, Grecia Mondragn, Gabriela Monico, Genevieve Negrn-Gonzales, Maria Liliana Ramirez, Joel Sati, Audrey Silvestre, Carolina Valdivia