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caractacus's review against another edition
5.0
The obvious comparison is The New Jim Crow; what Alexander does for the political, economic, and racial dimensions of mass incarceration, Chomsky does for the processes that define some acts of immigration as illegal, the treatment of those actors, and the industries that profit from keeping immigration illegal.
leaton01's review against another edition
5.0
Though published in 2014, Chomsky's book feels all the more necessary to be put in everyone's hands during the era of the Trump administration. Her book has several clear and well-researched points. One point is to highlight the historical events that lead to the current frame of how the US has created "illegal immigrants" and how that frame is largely informed by a racialized view that devalues immigrants of color, particularly Mexicans and other people from Latin America (that's not to say that she doesn't acknowledge how the current US culture does not devalue other immigrants of color, but that her argument is that in the 20th century, much of the creation of "illegal immigration" had Latin and Central America at its heart). She also argues that if the US is the country that it claims to be, valuing the individual and not discriminating on group identity but rather individual ability, then there is a giant hole of hypocrisy on discriminating against where people are born and restricting them to the rights offered within the US. That is, nation states are social constructs and if the US has created a construct that says all people are equal but then doesn't allow for people to come here and partake of that equality, then it's really not equal. With these two arguments in mind, Chomsky delves into the research of the different laws (nationally and state-wise) along with particular events that lead to the current moment. This narrative is broken up into chapters that focus on different aspects of the immigrant experience from the choice to come to the US (and the overwhelming legal and illegal encouragement by US businesses to entice immigrants to the US), the gray areas in the law and day-to-day life immigrants struggle with as a subclass of people denied rights, opportunities, and protections in the US, the often-grueling and debilitative work they are willing to do (that most US folks are not able to do or able to do as efficiently), and the impact of various legislation and action that undermines the family structure and stability for immigrants. Within these chapters, she brings together the history coupled with interviews and reports that flesh of an ever-increasing view of how brutal life is for immigrants who come to the US. At its core, Undocumented shows a more genuine and legitimate view of what it means to be an undocumented immigrant in a country that economically needs such an exploitable class and culturally, rejects and undermines the value of that life (made all the more ironic in a culture with so many self-reported Christians). If one wants a true understanding of the problems of the discussion of immigration today with all the talks of them as supposedly criminals and the need for a wall, this book is a gamechanger.
killedbyfluffy's review against another edition
5.0
I remember growing up, constantly hearing about the scourge of illegal immigrants and how our great country was being swept away by illegals. Never did I hear an actual reason for why this was the case except for the paradox of "the lazy illegals are stealing our jobs."
This book is an amazing primer for anyone who really wants to understand how this system was created and why it's so convoluted. The "crisis" of illegal immigration is created by the US because of it's history of neoliberal policies and hegemony over the Western hemisphere, and the only viable solution would require the complete reworking if not out right destruction of our current economic structure. To leave you with a quote from the book: "Every so-called industrialized country... relies on the labor of workers who are legally excluded to maintain its high levels of consumption... these countries rely on the legal conveniences of borders, countries, and citizenship to impose different rules for different people and maintain a legally excluded working class."
This book is an amazing primer for anyone who really wants to understand how this system was created and why it's so convoluted. The "crisis" of illegal immigration is created by the US because of it's history of neoliberal policies and hegemony over the Western hemisphere, and the only viable solution would require the complete reworking if not out right destruction of our current economic structure. To leave you with a quote from the book: "Every so-called industrialized country... relies on the labor of workers who are legally excluded to maintain its high levels of consumption... these countries rely on the legal conveniences of borders, countries, and citizenship to impose different rules for different people and maintain a legally excluded working class."
alextbrouwer's review against another edition
4.0
The last few sentences of the book provide a wonderful, poignant summary:
"In the most immediate terms, we created illegal immigration by making immigration illegal. In larger terms, we created illegal immigration by fostering a global system that bases the prosperity for the few on the exploitation of the many and enforcing it, in the modern era, through borders and exclusive citizenship. It's up to us to change it."
The book provides a history of immigration in the US and how creating the concept of "illegal immigrant" in the mid 1960s effectively replaced race as the "justification" for the discrimination and exploitation of immigrants both documented and undocumented.
"In the most immediate terms, we created illegal immigration by making immigration illegal. In larger terms, we created illegal immigration by fostering a global system that bases the prosperity for the few on the exploitation of the many and enforcing it, in the modern era, through borders and exclusive citizenship. It's up to us to change it."
The book provides a history of immigration in the US and how creating the concept of "illegal immigrant" in the mid 1960s effectively replaced race as the "justification" for the discrimination and exploitation of immigrants both documented and undocumented.
jmrivera's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing book, jammed packed with history but easy to read. I highly recommend everyone reads this.
glitterem's review against another edition
4.0
What I liked most about this was how Ms. Chomsky focused, particularly in the later chapters, on the structural issues of capitalism--that the use of cheap undocumented labor (and the migration that accompanies it) will continue until these structural issues are addressed.
The book overall is thorough and well researched, but not dense. Easy to read and straightforward in its conclusions.
The book overall is thorough and well researched, but not dense. Easy to read and straightforward in its conclusions.