Ms. Mendez

Counselor Ms. Maritza Mendes recommends the autobiography “My (Underground) American Dream” by Julissa Arce. Three words Ms. Mendez used to describe this book was “enlightening, courageous, and powerful.”

“Julissa and her family are also from Mexico so I found some familiarity in hearing her story,” she said. “We are also similar in age so we were in high school and college around the same time. Hearing her story about what those experiences were like because of her undocumented status really made me reflect on my privilege.”

Arce allows readers to glance into her life through her book, and see the challenges she faced as a result of being an undocumented person. “I think that the biggest lesson might be for those who perhaps don’t know any undocumented people in their personal life,” she said. “It can help shed light on an experience that I believe is very often misunderstood.”

Ms. Mendez listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Arce. “I really appreciated hearing her story in her own words,” she said.