Dreaming of Home

How We Turn Fear into Pride, Power, and Real Change

By: Cristina Jiménez

Narrated by: Cristina Jiménez

MacArthur “Genius” Cristina Jiménez writes and narrates her inspiring story from undocumented newcomer to leader in a powerful immigrant youth movement.

Dreaming of Home is a coming-of-age story for both a young woman finding her true self and a social movement of immigrant youth trailblazers who inspired the world and changed the lives of millions.

Cristina Jiménez’s family fought to stay afloat as Ecuador fell into a political and economic crisis. When she was thirteen, her family came to the US seeking a better life, landing in an overcrowded one-bedroom apartment in Queens, New York. She lived in fear of deportation and ashamed of being undocumented, but eventually, Cristina discovered she was not alone. She made it into college when students and advocates won a change in the law, allowing undocumented students to access higher education. She was proud to be the first one in her family to go to college, but she felt out of place until she met professors and student activists who opened a new world where she found her calling within a community of social justice organizers.

With deep candor and humor, Cristina shows us what it’s like to grow up undocumented and the reality that being a “good” immigrant doesn’t shield you from systemic racism, danger—or even the confusion of falling in love. She invites us to acknowledge the America that never was and to imagine the America that could be when everyday people come together, build power, and fight for change, even when the world around us seems to be crumbling.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

Critic reviews

<p>"Jiménez’s story is one of transformation that is more than personal; it reaches the character of the United States ...This is for readers who remain interested in America as an equitable, inclusive community of diverse backgrounds, classes, faiths, genders, races and immigrants." <br>—<b><i>Library Journal</i></b><br><br>“Powerful...Weaving personal experience with broader social justice movements, Jiménez sheds light on the trauma of immigration, the racial and economic inequities undermining U.S. communities, and the resilience of those who fight for a better future...an inspiring testament to perseverance and collective power.” <br>—<i><b>Booklist<br></b></i><br>"We all need to hear Cristina’s story of moving from the shadows of a broken system to leading a movement that changed history.” <br>—<b>Heather Charisse McGhee, advocate and <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The Sum of Us</i><br><br></b> “Cristina Jiménez is documenting her life journey as an immigrant and in doing so, recording the journey of those who haven’t been acknowledged. We don’t count, we aren’t history unless we tell our own stories. In these turbulent times, Cristina’s voice is not only essential, it is heroic, a tongue of fire blazing in the night.” <br>—<b>Sandra Cisneros, poet, writer, and author of <i>The House on Mango Street</i><br></b><br>"Cristina came of age building a powerful movement of young people, fighting for their place in America. Her version of the American dream will be full of wisdom for this era." <br>—<b>Ai-jen Poo, author, organizer, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and executive director of Caring Across Generations</b><br><br>"You cannot write the modern history of the immigrant rights movement—and, in turn, the evolution of racial and social justice—without the leadership of Cristina Jiménez. She is a force, in the best possible way. For years I've waited for her book, and I look forward to the insights she'll share in <i>Dreaming of Home." <br>—</i><b>Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, founder of Define American, and author of <i>Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen</i><br></b></p>

Relevant immigration information

Love love, love Cristina’s immigration journey as a young undocumented activist. Teaches us how the immigration timeline has evolved and its relevance to today’s immigration policies.
The beginning is slow to evolve but once you’re in chapter three you don’t want to put it down/ turn it off.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

If you want to understand the heart of DACA

This book is a moving and poignant tribute to the dignity, bravery, and tenacity of DACA beneficiaries and migrants. Jiménez brings together personal stories, moments of grief, and acts of resistance with honesty and strength. Through her words, I felt the weight of the struggles that so many in our communities face fears of deportation, family separation, and the constant stress of living in limbo.
Cristina, I appreciate you sharing your story and enabling so many people to identify with it.

A journey to follow.

The journey and voice. Thank you for supporting us to travel with you. Great job.