Someone Like Me: How One Undocumented Girl Fought for Her American Dream

(Paperback)

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Someone Like Me is the young readers edition of Julissa Arce's adult memoir My (Underground) American Dream. Born in Taxco, Mexico, Julissa Arce had to share her parents with America from the age of three. Her parents made trips to different parts of the United States to sell silver, often spending weeks and even months away. That is until one day they decided to bring Julissa to Texas to live with them. From then on, Julissa would be spend every day gripped with fear as she secretly lived as an undocumented immigrant.

This surprising, at times heart-wrenching, but always inspirational story takes readers deep into the little-understood world of a new generation of undocumented immigrants in the United States today--children who live next door, sit in your classrooms, or may even be one of your best friends.

Reviews

"Someone Like Me is a brave and important story that shows the beautiful resilience of immigrants forging a home in an unfamiliar land. Julissa's honest, assertive voice is both refreshing and inspirational, a gift for young women of color everywhere. This book should be required reading."--p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Erika L. Snchez, New York Times Bestselling Author of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
* "Like today's "DREAMers," Julissa makes her appreciation of her heritage clear, along with her gratitude for all of the advantages in the U.S. Offering young people a clear autobiographical viewpoint of a controversial issue, this is a must for all collections."--Booklist, starred review
"Someone Like Me is a beautiful tale of love, perseverance, and survival. Arce gives readers a poignant and heart-wrenching window into the pain and anxiety endured by immigrant families separated by the border in a time when we desperately need it. She's an inspiration to all Americans."--Sara Saedi, author of Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card
"An honest and heartfelt story of survival."--Kirkus Reviews
"As a young girl desperate for inspiration, I wish this book had existed when my dreams felt beyond my reach. Young people are lucky they can read Julissa's story and know without a doubt that the impossible is possible."--p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Reyna Grande, Nationally bestselling author of The Distance Between Us
"Brilliant! In a captivating fashion Julissa shows us that when we believe in something with all our heart and prepare for success, opportunity will find us."--p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Diane Guerrero, actor and author of In the Country We Love: My Family Divided
"One doesn't often think that a harrowing immigration story will end with an undocumented girl becoming a vice president at a U.S. multinational investment bank. And yet, Arce's story paints a picture of an ambitious child willing to do anything to live the American Dream, even in a country that may not initially want her."--The Los Angeles Times

Author Bio

Julissa Arce is a CNBC and Crooked media contributor, writer, speaker, and social justice advocate. She is the cofounder and chairman of the Ascend Educational Fund, a college scholarship and mentorship program that assists immigrant students, regardless of their immigration status, ethnicity, or national origin. Julissa is also a board member for the National Immigration Law Center and for College Spring. Prior to becoming an advocate, she built a successful career on Wall Street, working at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch.