Undocu Book Club

Date: 

Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 6:00pm to 7:00pm

 

Click here to register

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Program Description: 

The Next Gen Initiative is excited to host its first ever Undocu Book Club! This unique book club will read and discuss The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, AB ‘11. Cornejo Villavicencio, an FGLI student, was one of the first undocumented students to be accepted into Harvard. In The Undocumented Americans, she sheds lights on the nuances of the immigration narrative — doing so in a way that is accessible, unfiltered, and authentic. She recounts her own immigration story while profiling undocumented immigrants across the United States. The combination of personal narratives and sensitive reporting helps illustrate the unique struggles that undocumented people face in this country, particularly the sacrifices that are made, the xenophobia and exploitation that is endured, and the daily battles with trauma and mental health. 

The Undocu Book Club will be an opportunity for students to come together and embark on a close analysis and reflection of Cornejo Villavicencio’s book — bringing in their own personal narratives and ideas. 

The book club will be split into four parts:

  1. The first meeting will be a community building book club introduction. It’ll be a space for students to introduce themselves, participate in fun activities, and learn about Cornejo Villavicencio’s book. 

  2. The second part will be an asynchronous book discussion and virtual engagement via the UndocuVeritas platform. 

  3. The third part will be a facilitated discussion of the book’s themes and an empowering narrative writing workshop. 

  4. Lastly, the book club will conclude with a student-led conversation and celebration with special guests. 

The kick off community building meeting will be on Tuesday, April 13 at 6pm ET. Subsequent meeting times will be selected based on participants’ schedules. 

The Undocu Book is open to undocumented, DACAmented, and mixed status FGLI undergraduate and graduate Harvard students. Copies of the book will be provided to all participants. The book club series will be facilitated by the Next Gen Graduate Fellow, Hector Arroyo De La Paz. Arroyo De La Paz is an FGLI graduate student at Harvard Divinity School. He also serves as a First-Year Proctor at Harvard College. The Undocu Book Club is cosponsored by the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural & Race Relations, UndocuVeritas, and Act on a Dream. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Hector Arroyo De La Paz at harroyodelapaz@hds.harvard.edu