Undocumented in L.A.

Her story is similar to those of the thousands of illegal immigrants who cross the border into America every day in search of political or economic refuge. In 1988, a woman in her late thirties named Yamileth obtains a passport, leaves her home, and makes a daring, dangerous trip from war-torn Nicaragua through Central America to the United States to join her family. In Los Angeles, Yamileth must find a place to live and a job to support her family, yet keep secret the fact that she entered the country as an illegal alien. She must adapt to new customs and the flood of Latino and Asian immigrants. She must live among the people of California, who in 1994 approved Proposition 187 with the intent to deny undocumented immigrants education, social services, and health care. Yamileth's daily experiences mirror the hopes and frustrations of women and men who must confront new cultural, economic, and political environments. Author Dianne Walta Hart's long and close relationship with Yamileth allows her to present Yamileth's cultural struggles and personal development in poignant narrative and passages in Yamileth's own words. From start to finish, Undocumented in L.A.: An Immigrant's Story is testimonial literature at its best. This eye-opening work will show the reader the opposition and difficulties undocumented immigrants face in a nation that at first beckons them with freedom, then rejects them with unwelcoming borders and restrictive laws. Undocumented in L.A.: An Immigrant's Story is an excellent resource for courses in immigration, political science, and social and cultural studies.

Dianne Walta Hart is a senior instructor of Spanish at Oregon State University. In addition, she serves as the Latin America Director of Global Graduates: The Oregon International Internship Program, part of the Oregon State System of Higher Education.