When Cristina Henriquez first began writing The Book of Unknown Americans, it was a love story between two teenagers whose cultures were similar to the ones she grew up with. As it progressed, she began to ask questions about their family, neighbors, and other people who crossed paths with Mayor and Maribel. It became a novel that sheds light on the immigrant experience—the unknown Americans—whose stories she feels get lost in a larger narrative of immigration legislation.
As the author of the first-year reading for the Class of 2020, Henriquez delivered a lecture on campus that highlights her motivations for writing the novel and—in her own words—the power of imagination to break down narratives that promote generalizations.
“You’ll encounter a lot of people on campus and in life who it will be easy to overlook,” Henriquez said to the audience, “but I want you to make it a point to see them.”
It’s a message that resonated with students and faculty members alike, both through reading her novel and attending her lecture.
Check out four things they took away from this year’s first-year reading.
On the role of culture:
“I really related with the book. Coming from a Latino background, I felt like I was really able to connect with Mayor because of the his background and culture, and the relationships he had with his parents and siblings.” – Felix Gonzalez ’20
On coming to a new place:
“I like the book despite some difficulty in understanding Spanish language. It's very helpful for me to understand how to make a transition to the College and the country. As I'm one of the international students, I really like the stories of the different immigrants coming to America. It gave me a knowledge, experience and preparation for the obstacles and solutions that I might face and have in the future.” – Vuochnear Ly ’20
On the importance of relationships:
“What really resonates with me is that this story is relationship based. I love how it was written from different perspectives, because seeing the interconnectedness of their stories paints a larger story of courage and strength. It tells a very personal story, but a story that has implications beyond these people as their stories are ones that our nation is engaging with right now.” – Associate Dean of College Life, Residential & FY Programs Keira Kant ’95
On engaging in difficult conversations:
“This book deals with serious issues about immigration, disabilities, and what it is like to move to a foreign land where the culture and language are completely different than what one is used to. These ideas allow the book to tackle the issues of diversity and inclusion that the college tries to have front and center—and which are also playing a large part in the presidential election and national discussions—while also being something that many of our first-year students, who are themselves in the middle of a life-changing move to a place that might feel alien to them, will identify with.” – Professor of Mathematics and Director of the First-Year Seminar Program Darren Glass
Campus-wide small group discussions on the first-year reading and author lecture will take place on Thursday, September 15, and a reading guide has been prepared by Musselman Library for the entire campus community to use.
