Citizen Illegal

"Art has a way of making us see things more clearly. In a time when the demonization of immigrants — and more specifically, Mexican immigrants — is top of mind for so many, along comes a book like José Olivarez’s Citizen Illegal to set things straight. “Fun fact,” he writes in the poem “River Oaks Mall”: “When you have to try to blend in / you can never blend in.” This striking collection of poems is a testament to art’s power to shine a light on the beauty and nuance of family life and the plight of oppressed populations."