The Weight of Shadows

Tracing his story of becoming a US citizen, José Orduña's memoir explores the complex issues of immigration and assimilation.In July of 2011 José Orduña was naturalized as an American citizen, a decision made, he admits, in bad faith and purely out of self-interest. Though grateful to his parents for their many sacrifices, which resulted in his citizenship, he feels anger and resentment towards a punitive and racist government. With a searingly original voice, Orduña reflects on the complicated and contradictory experience of morphing into a "legal" young, brown immigrant. He describes the absurd feeling of being given a piece of paper--his naturalization certificate--handed to him by a robed judge to certify something he has always known: he has a right to be here and is, at least in theory, equal under the law. A trenchant exploration of race, class, and identity, The Weight of Shadows chronicles the process of becoming a...