Overview

To be undocumented, to be America's shadow, can be the worst thing any youth or adolescent can experience. In some cases, undocumented immigrant youth will only know that they are undocumented once it is time to apply for jobs, a driver's license, or college applications because to apply means to possess a valid social security number. The term 'Dreamer' is now claimed by the undocumented youth population. It redefines the experience of immigrant youth and validates their existence as an individual experience. Dreamer Paradise aims to tell that experience and serves as a closer look into Quiroz's life, from being denied entry at the DMV to wanting acceptance as an American citizen; and, at the same time, holding their Mexican queer identity close to their existence. Quiroz does not hold back and urges anyone who reads to listen.

Full Product Details

9798990014909

Table of Contents

Reviews

PARADISE""DREAMER PARADISE is a ferocious reflection on the daily life of an undocumented, gay, brown, educated, graduate degree-holding badass. Quiroz's work exposes the struggles with self-acceptance and the dependence on documentation for validation in a country that already rejects marginalized people. This is the narrative of a gay DACA educator that is missing from the Latine bookshelf."" -Angelina Sáenz, author of Edgecliff and Maestra ""This is great, important work. It is powerful, poignant, and yearning for solid ground. It is to be revisited. It is to be honored."" -Carmen Rita Wong, author of Why Didn't You Tell Me?: A Memoir ""A heartfelt journey into the lives of DACA recipients, skillfully weaving their stories into the fabric of our current political climate. The voices of the great American young will continually sustain and usher us into an evolved, actualized nation. Quiroz's voice here is action.""-James B. Golden, Inaugural Salinas Poet Laureate ""This narrative bestows profound dignity and worth. It tenderly transforms a day laborer's gay son into a poignant love letter. It reshapes childhood monsters into stirring shadows of Mexican identity. DREAMER PARADISE beckons us to find our place in this world."" -Moisés Zamora, executive producer and creator of Netflix's Selena: The Series ""Each poem is a poignant reminder that undocumented individuals are multifaceted-Quiroz's work stands as a testament that to survive as undocumented in this country is to possess a certain level of genius.""-Yosimar Reyes, Creator of Prieto and author of For Colored Boys Who Speak Softly

Author Information

David Quiroz, his brother Carlos, and his mother traveled to the United States from Michoacán, Mexico, in 1995. After several years in the United States, he was enrolled in the charter school system known today as Vaughn Next Century Learning Center. He is a product of the afterschool program system, The Boys and Girls Club of San Fernando Valley, and later completed his bachelor's degree at California State University, Northridge. After obtaining a bachelor's in English subject matter, David began teaching in 2019, pursuing a master's degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing. He has served as a public-school middle school instructor, teaching seventh-grade English at PUC Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy for five years. As an undocumented first-generation American and first-generation college graduate, David was reenergized after each political battle against undocumented people. Upon receiving DACA, David utilized every opportunity afforded to him. Dreamer Paradise, his first book, tells the story of one dreamer, as the DACA/immigrant experience is not universal.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available