Underground America

When are illegal aliens real people?

by Holly Otterbein


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Published: Nov 5, 2008

In the discourse on immigration, illegal aliens are abstractions. They are cartoon characters (shadowy figures hopping the fence at night), stereotypes (Mexicans who filch our jobs and erode our culture) and statistics (between 10 and 20 million are believed to live in the United States).

But when are they real people, with flesh, bones and stories?

Not often enough, argues Peter Orner, editor of Underground America: Narratives of Undocumented Lives (McSweeney's, $16). By nature, illegal immigrants are silent, and most of their stories are filtered, whether by pro-immigration leaders, Lou Dobbs or anyone in between.

Orner, a fiction writer, wanted to hear from the undocumented workers themselves. If people could read their stories, he thought, maybe they would empathize. Maybe lawmakers (or, as he calls them, "idiots from Washington") would change their policies. Motivated by a blend of idealism and frustration, Orner and a team of graduate students from San Francisco State University interviewed more than 60 undocumented people throughout the country.

"There's a lot of punditry about illegal immigrants. People think they're all dark, poor and pick fruit," says Orner. "But the truth is no one really knows them. No one asks them who they are."

They found willing participants at churches, in nursing homes and throughout their own neighborhoods. A few people were hesitant, asking repeatedly, "Are you with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)?" But most, Orner says, were verbose without being prodded. They spoke because they weren't used to being heard.

The narratives that emerged are grim.

Liso, a 37-year-old woman, was a teacher in South Africa. When her pastor received word that a Houston church needed missionaries, she eagerly volunteered to "work for God" in America. She left her new husband and twin girls for Texas, only to find that the church members hadn't exactly adhered to the Ninth Commandment. Her "mission" was cleaning the pastor's house for $600 a month.

In another narrative, a Mexican woman named Olga watches helplessly as her transsexual daughter Vica dies of AIDS in prison after she was stopped for a driving violation and detained. Vica spends her last living moments shackled to a bed with guards surrounding her.

Throughout Underground America, the mistreatment of illegal immigrants painfully echoes this country's shameful past of slavery. In one story, a Peruvian woman named Diana explains that after Hurricane Katrina struck Biloxi, Miss., immigrants repaired much of the town. Construction companies asked her to recruit "more Hispanics, more Hispanics, more Hispanics" because most whites and blacks had quit by the end of the first week. These immigrants are now an invisible force that has helped grow our economy and infrastructure — they've built America, but have nothing to show for it.

Only one of the published stories is set in Philadelphia, which is a city of contradicting policies. While it isn't a designated "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants like Baltimore or New York City, many believe that Philly is a de facto sanctuary, avoiding the label in order to deflect unwanted attention from Harrisburg.

"Historically, Philly has understood the importance of police and immigrants being separate," says Sarah Paoletti, clinical supervisor of the University of Pennsylvania's Transnational Legal Clinic. "But that doesn't mean there aren't raids here."

On Wednesday, Paoletti, Orner and other immigration experts will discuss undocumented workers in Philadelphia and beyond while local actors will provide dramatic readings from Underground America.

The book's authors, however, cannot attend.

Wed., Nov. 12, 8:30-10:30 p.m., $15, Painted Bride.