In 2026, America celebrates its 250th Anniversary! In recognition, Kingston Library will be holding a series of programs where each month they will examine a different aspect of America’s history, legacy, and future potential. This month, they will explore immigration.   

As a nation with a history of immigration, currently grappling with questions of who and how many to accept, Kingston Library will be using The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, to frame the conversation about the current issues and shed light on first-hand experience.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, one of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard, combines sensitive reporting and powerful personal narratives to bring to light remarkable stories of resilience, madness, and death. She finds the singular, effervescent characters across the nation often reduced in the media to political pawns or nameless laborers. The stories she tells are not deferential or naively inspirational but show the love, magic, heartbreak, insanity, and vulgarity that infuse the day-to-day lives of her subjects. And through it all we see the author grappling with the biggest questions of love, duty, family, and survival. Shortlisted for a National Book Award.