THINGS I'LL NEVER SAY
PUBLIC READING AND DISCUSSION
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| On Thursday November 17th, please join us at The Booksmith
in San Francisco to listen to E4FC students read and discuss their
autobiographical stories from THINGS I'LL NEVER SAY: STORIES OF GROWING
UP UNDOCUMENTED IN THE UNITED STATES, recently published in the Harvard Educational Review.
In this moving collection, E4FC students talk about not being able to
return to their homelands, about wanting to be accepted as Americans,
and about the fear of living in the shadows. Together, their narratives
create a sense of a young immigrant's journey: departure, crossing,
arrival, alienation, and attempts at claiming a new home.
At
this public event, students will share their stories and engage in a
lively discussion about current immigration issues and the power of
personal narrative to change public opinion and policy.
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EVENT DETAILS
Date and Time: Thursday, November 17, 2011, 6:45-9:00PM
Venue: The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
Student Authors: Catherine Eusebio, Ingrid Hernandez, Jirayut Latthi, Mario Lio, and Fermín Mendoza
Schedule:
6:45 PM Reception
7:30 PM Reading & Discussion
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SAMPLE STORY FROM THE COLLECTION
Letter to Myself Before Leaving
by Ingrid Hernandez
Ingrid,
Make sure to hold Tia Elvi y Tita for at least ten minutes. Don’t worry, you’re young and they’ll find it adorable, nothing out of the ordinary. Make sure you look at them until you have memorized the lines of their wrinkles, the precise color of their eyes, the number of eyelashes. Don’t forget to note what they are wearing as well. Take a picture with your mind and keep it tucked in your soul.
Walk around your bedroom one last time. Notice the color of the walls. Make sure you can answer these key questions: Are there any pictures hanging? Is your bed made? How many stuffed animals did you leave behind? What color was your pillowcase?
Your mother will tell you not to bring more than one doll with you. She’ll tell you that there is no more room for toys in your luggage. Please don’t listen. Grab your favorite three and hide them in your backpack. She will not notice.
Now run to Papa Julio’s cantina. Take a look around it. I know it may seem insignificant now, but this place holds memories. Trust me, you’ll want to remember it. Now call out his name until he comes out, make sure he does not get away with a simple waved goodbye. Kiss his forehead. Make sure you remember his voice, his big brown eyes, and his white hair. Did you take a picture of him too? Assure him with one look that you will become a respectable young lady: he may never get a chance to see you become one.
Have you followed my instructions? Now you are ready to go. But let me tell you one more secret before you leave: it will be a very long time before you see this place again, if you ever do. Don’t ask me how long because I don’t even have an answer to that now.
Now grab your backpack, keep your smile and enthusiasm, and board the bus.
Sincerely,
Me
About Ingrid Hernandez
Since emigrating from Guatemala ten years ago, Ingrid continues to strive toward her goal of attaining higher levels of education and a career in the nonprofit business sector, despite the limitations and emotional challenges of being an undocumented student. In 2011, after hard work and dedication, she received her BS in management science and engineering from Stanford University.
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