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Somewhere We Are Human

Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings
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( 661 ratings, 90 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Somewhere We Are Human is a compelling anthology that brings together diverse voices to explore the immigrant experience. Edited by Reyna Grande and Sonia Guiñansaca, the book offers personal narratives, essays, and poems that delve into themes of identity, resilience, and the pursuit of belonging. Through a rich tapestry of stories, it reflects on the cultural and emotional complexities of life as an immigrant in the United States.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you appreciate powerful narratives that blend personal stories with cultural exploration. With contributions from various voices, it offers a rich tapestry of experiences that delve into identity, resilience, and the human spirit. If you enjoy works that highlight diverse perspectives and celebrate cultural heritage, this book could be a compelling addition to your collection.

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A "collection of 44 ... essays, poems, and artwork by migrants, refugees, and Dreamers--including award-winning writers, artists, and activists--that illuminate what it is like living undocumented today"--

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

"Wide-ranging yet consistently affecting, these pieces offer a crucial and inspired survey of the immigrant experience in America." –Publishers Weekly

"[These contributions] touch on so many different facets of the immigrant experience that readers will find much to ponder... [and] experience how creative writing enriches our understanding of each other and our lives." –Booklist

Introduction by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen

A unique collection of 41 groundbreaking essays, poems, and artwork by migrants, refugees and Dreamers—including award-winning writers, artists, and activists—that illuminate what it is like living undocumented today.

In the overheated debate about immigration, we often lose sight of the humanity at the heart of this complex issue. The immigrants and refugees living precariously in the United States are mothers and fathers, children, neighbours, and friends. Individuals propelled by hope and fear, they gamble their lives on the promise of America, yet their voices are rarely heard.

This anthology of essays, poetry, and art seeks to shift the immigration debate—now shaped by rancorous stereotypes and xenophobia—towards one rooted in humanity and justice. Through their storytelling and art, the contributors to this thought-provoking book remind us that they are human still. Transcending their current immigration status, they offer nuanced portraits of their existence before and after migration, the factors behind their choices, the pain of leaving their homeland and beginning anew in a strange country, and their collective hunger for a future not defined by borders.

Created entirely by undocumented or formerly undocumented migrants, Somewhere We Are Human is a journey of memory and yearning from people newly arrived to America, those who have been here for decades, and those who have ultimately chosen to leave or were deported. Touching on themes of race, class, gender, nationality, sexuality, politics, and parenthood, Somewhere We Are Human reveals how joy, hope, mourning, and perseverance can take root in the toughest soil and bloom in the harshest conditions.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Somewhere We Are Human is praised for its impactful and necessary portrayal of the immigrant experience in America, offering a cohesive narrative through diverse, undocumented voices. Reviewers highlight its humanising, artful storytelling, celebrating the unique perspectives it brings and noting its ability to enrich understanding through creative expression. The anthology is seen as a crucial addition to literature on migration, praised for its authenticity and emotional depth.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780063095779

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 21 July 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: HarperVia

Contributors:

  • Foreword by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 363g

Pages: 336

About the Author

Born in Mexico, Reyna Grande is the author of the bestselling memoirs The Distance Between Us and its sequel, A Dream Called Home, as well as the novels Across a Hundred Mountains, Dancing with Butterflies, and A Ballad of Love and Glory. Reyna has received an American Book Award, the El Premio Aztlán Literary Award, and a Latino Spirit Award. The young reader’s version of The Distance Between Us received an International Literacy Association Children’s Book Award. Her work has appeared in the New York Times and the Washington Post’s The Lily, on CNN, and more. She has appeared on Oprah's Book Club and has taught at the Macondo Writers Workshop, VONA, Bread Loaf, and other conferences for writers.  Sonia Guiñansaca is an internationally acclaimed poet, culture strategist, and activist who was born in Ecuador (Kichwa-Kañari), and at the age of five, migrated to the United States to reunite with their parents in New York. Guiñansaca helped build some of the largest undocumented organizations in the U.S and co-founded some of the first artistic projects, writers retreats, and workshops for and by undocumented writers. They have been awarded residencies and fellowships from Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation, BOAAT Writer’s Retreat, and the Hemispheric Institute for Performance & Politics, among others. They have performed at venues such as the Met and the Public Theater in New York City, and featured on PEN America, PBS, Interview Magazine, Ms. Magazine, Teen Vogue, and other media outlets. Sonia self-published a debut chapbook, Nostalgia and Borders, and contributed to the new edition of the ColonizeThis! Anthology and This is Not a Gun.

Also by Reyna Grande

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  • Somewhere We Are Human
    “Wide-ranging yet consistently affecting, these pieces offer a crucial and inspired survey of the immigrant experience in America.” –Publishers Weekly “[These contributions] touch on so many different facets of the immigrant experience that readers will find much to ponder... [and] experience how creative writing enriches our understanding of each other and our lives.” –Booklist Introduction by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Viet...
    Paperback
    $5100
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Distance Between Us
    In this inspirational and unflinchingly honest memoir, acclaimed author Reyna Grande describes her childhood torn between the United States and Mexico, and shines a light on the experiences, fears, and hopes of those who choose to make the harrowing journey across the border.Reyna Grande vividly brings to life her tumultuous early years in this “compelling...unvarnished, resonant” (BookPage) story of a...
    Paperback
    $5100
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

Also by Sonia Guiñansaca

View all
  • Somewhere We Are Human
    “Wide-ranging yet consistently affecting, these pieces offer a crucial and inspired survey of the immigrant experience in America.” –Publishers Weekly “[These contributions] touch on so many different facets of the immigrant experience that readers will find much to ponder... [and] experience how creative writing enriches our understanding of each other and our lives.” –Booklist Introduction by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Viet...
    Paperback
    $5100
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

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