Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen

The author creates a parallel between his coming out as a homosexual and his coming out as an undocumented person. How is this conveyed in the text?

At school, work, and in his life, the author accumulates numerous mentors. How do these people provide the help and support that he requires to succeed as an undocumented person?

What role does the author’s family play in his struggles to gain recognition for the rights of undocumented people? Do they provide a help or a hindrance?

One of the most repeated symbols in the book is the southern border of the United States. How is the change in immigration policy represented by the changing role of the border?

Once he reveals his undocumented status, the author receives a great deal of criticism. Do you believe that he is affected more by criticism from the right or the left?

For the majority of the book, the author’s mother is a distant but essential figure. How does the author’s relationship with his mother change and evolve over the course of the narrative?

The book documents the author’s political struggle. How does the politics of immigration inform the narrative? How does it change over the course of the author’s time in America?

Tension and anxiety are frequently felt by the author. How are these emotions presented and portrayed in the text?