My Side of the River

At fifteen, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez returns home from school to find her parents, who were in the United States on visas, have been forced back to Mexico. Left to navigate the American education system alone as an undocumented minor, she hides her homelessness and legal status from school authorities to maintain her high academic standing. The narrative follows her life through Tucson’s high schools and into the halls of the University of Pennsylvania, detailing the logistical hurdles of poverty, the constant fear of deportation, and the emotional toll of a family fractured by international borders and restrictive immigration policies.

Individuals interested in firsthand accounts of the American immigration system and the realities of living as a mixed-status family will find this account informative. It is geared toward readers seeking a factual perspective on the DACA program and the practical difficulties of upward mobility for non-citizens. Readers finish the book with a clear understanding of the systemic barriers confronting high-achieving immigrant youth and the psychological consequences of forced family separation.