It is also painful to focus on the art, but impossible to process the world by anything but art.
-- Villavicencio (Introduction)

Importance: The author expresses that she has translated the interviews with the undocumented immigrants herself and has focused on the actual context rather than a transliteral version. In this way she was able to capture the tone of the person, whether that be witty, serious, evasive or even irritating. Such translation is an art, as it recreates a human’s personality on paper. However, Villavicencio finds it painful work since the stories the immigrants tell are often agonizing and filled with suffering. Through the artful retelling, the immigrant’s voices can be heard in English.

I’ve heard them [nice people] call us “undocumented workers” as a euphemism, as if there was something uncouth about being an undocumented person standing with your hands clasped together or at your sides.”
-- Villavicencio (chapter 1)

Importance: Villavicencio takes aim...