Dreaming of Home - by Cristina Jiménez (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A MacArthur "Genius" shares her inspiring story, from undocumented newcomer to leader in a powerful immigrant youth movement. Dreaming of Home is a coming-of-age story both for a young woman finding her true self and for a social movement of immigrant youth trailblazers who inspired the world and changed the lives of millions. Cristina Jimâenez's family fights to stay afloat as Ecuador falls into a political and economic crisis. When she is thirteen, her parents courageously decide to seek a better life in the U.S., landing in a one-bedroom apartment in Queens, New York. There are many challenges, but eventually, Cristina discovers she is not alone; she finds her calling within a community of social justice organizers. With deep candor and humor, Cristina opens the door to what it's like to grow up undocumented and the reality that being a "good" immigrant doesn't shield you from systematic racism, danger, or even the confusion of falling in love. Through personal stories and historical truth telling, Cristina invites us to acknowledge the America that never was and to imagine the America that could be when everyday people build power and fight for change. And she reminds us that home is more than a physical place on the map, offering each of us a roadmap for finding the home within even when the world around us seems to be crumbling"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A MacArthur "Genius" shares her inspiring story, from undocumented newcomer to leader in a powerful immigrant youth movement.

Dreaming of Home is a coming-of-age story both for a young woman finding her true self and for a social movement of immigrant youth trailblazers who inspired the world and changed the lives of millions.

Cristina Jiménez's family fights to stay afloat as Ecuador falls into a political and economic crisis. When she is thirteen, her parents courageously decide to seek a better life in the U.S., landing in a one-bedroom apartment in Queens, New York. There are many challenges, but eventually, Cristina discovers she is not alone; she finds her calling within a community of social justice organizers. With deep candor and humor, Cristina opens the door to what it's like to grow up undocumented and the reality that being a "good" immigrant doesn't shield you from systematic racism, danger, or even the confusion of falling in love.

Through personal stories and historical truth telling, Cristina invites us to acknowledge the America that never was and to imagine the America that could be when everyday people build power and fight for change. And she reminds us that home is more than a physical place on the map, offering each of us a roadmap for finding the home within even when the world around us seems to be crumbling.

Review Quotes

"A captivating and strong debut. An emotional and inspirational recounting of the modern American immigrant rights movement."
--Kirkus

"Jiménez's story is one of transformation that is more than personal; it reaches the character of the United States ...This is for readers who remain interested in America as an equitable, inclusive community of diverse backgrounds, classes, faiths, genders, races and immigrants."
--Library Journal

"Powerful...Weaving personal experience with broader social justice movements, Jiménez sheds light on the trauma of immigration, the racial and economic inequities undermining U.S. communities, and the resilience of those who fight for a better future...an inspiring testament to perseverance and collective power."
--Booklist

"We all need to hear Cristina's story of moving from the shadows of a broken system to leading a movement that changed history."
--Heather Charisse McGhee, advocate and New York Times bestselling author of The Sum of Us

"Cristina Jiménez is documenting her life journey as an immigrant and in doing so, recording the journey of those who haven't been acknowledged. We don't count, we aren't history unless we tell our own stories. In these turbulent times, Cristina's voice is not only essential, it is heroic, a tongue of fire blazing in the night."
--Sandra Cisneros, poet, writer, and author of The House on Mango Street

"Cristina came of age building a powerful movement of young people, fighting for their place in America. Her version of the American dream will be full of wisdom for this era."
--Ai-jen Poo, author, organizer, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and executive director of Caring Across Generations

"You cannot write the modern history of the immigrant rights movement--and, in turn, the evolution of racial and social justice--without the leadership of Cristina Jiménez. She is a force, in the best possible way. For years I've waited for her book, and I look forward to the insights she'll share in Dreaming of Home."
--Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, founder of Define American, and author of Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen

About the Author

Cristina Jiménez is an award-winning community organizer and a leading voice in movements for social justice. She is Co-Founder and former Executive Director of United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the country. A Distinguished Lecturer at the City University of New York, Jimenez received a 2017 MacArthur Fellowship and a spot on the 2018 TIME 100 Most Influential People List. She came to the U.S from Ecuador in 1998 and grew up undocumented in Queens, N.Y.