Debbie D. (debbiemd) reviewed on 6/18/2020

I have read 3 books about immigrants and immigration this year. The other two were both fiction and about Mexican immigrants coming through the border in Mexico. This was a short memoir written by a Pulitzer prize winning journalist. It was as much about coming here from the Philippines illegally as a child and how he navigated to get a license, fake social security card, etc in order to get a job as it was about his feelings of not being able to say he was "American" - the feelings of having no roots, no home, the fear he lives with daily of being picked up by INS and deported, and essentially how do you define "American". Jumped all over in time in some places and the ending just kind of ended. But ending understandable because nothing changed - he is still out there writing, speaking, and in fear of being picked up by INS

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