Undocumented

By Dan-el Padilla Peralta,

Book cover of Undocumented: A Dominican Boy's Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League

Book description

An undocumented immigrant’s journey from a New York City homeless shelter to the top of his Princeton class
 
Dan-el Padilla Peralta has lived the American dream. As a boy, he arrived in the United States legally with his family. Together they had traveled from Santo Domingo to seek medical care…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Undocumented as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I want to end this list on a strong note: this book by an immigrant to New York felt personal to me. Navigating life in New York is a dream for many immigrants, one that, realistically, I know I shouldn’t keep, but emotionally, I’m still connected to.

Still, this book carries more than just the background of NYC, it also has such a strong case against the idea that undocumented immigrants have nothing of value for the US. After reading this book, I kinda wanted Dan-el to be my friend. 

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Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route up…

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Immigrants 185 books
New York State 565 books