Illegally Yours: A Memoir

Written by Rafael Agustin

Narrated by Rafael Agustin

A funny and poignant memoir about how as a teenager, TV writer Rafael Agustin (Jane The Virgin) accidentally discovered he was undocumented and how that revelation turned everything he thought he knew about himself and his family upside down.

Growing up, Rafa’s parents didn't want him to feel different because, as his mom told him: "Dreams should not have borders." But when he tried to get his driver's license during his junior year of high school, his parents were forced to reveal his immigration status. Suddenly, the kid who modeled his entire high school career after American TV shows had no idea what to do -- there was no episode of Saved by the Bell where Zack gets deported! While his parents were relieved to no longer live a lie in front of their son, Rafa found himself completely unraveling in the face of his uncertain future.
 
Illegally Yours is a heartwarming, comical look at how this struggling Ecuadorian immigrant family bonded together to navigate Rafa's school life, his parents' work lives, and their shared secret life as undocumented Americans, determined to make the best of their always turbulent and sometimes dangerous American existence. From using the Ricky Martin/Jennifer Lopez “Latin Explosion” to his social advantage in the ‘90s to how his parents—doctors in their home country of Ecuador—were reduced to working menial jobs in the US, the family's secret became their struggle, and their struggle became their hustle. An alternatingly hilarious and touching exploration of belonging and identity, Illegally Yours revolves around one very simple question: What does it mean to be American?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Release date: Jul 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781668604519

Rafael Agustin

RAFAEL AGUSTÍN fue el guionista de la premiada serie de televisión Jane the Virgin. Es el CEO del Latino Film Institute (LFI), donde supervisa el Youth Cinema Project y el Latino International Film Festival de Los Ángeles (LALIFF). En 2018, fue invitado por las Naciones Unidas para hablar durante el LXX Aniversario de la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos. En 2021, fue designado parte de la Junta Nacional de Conservación de Cine de la Biblioteca del Congreso de Estados Unidos. En 2022, fue elegido «Power Player» en la primera cohorte de LA Vanguardia, un proyecto del Los Angeles Times.

Reviews for Illegally Yours

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Rafael Agustin finds out he's undocumented in his late teens, his entire existence shifts. A fabulous memoir, written with a little comedy, a little sarcasm, you get the sense of how destabilizing it is to discover that you are "illegal" and what that means.

Best quote from Rafael's mom, "We didn't want you to grow up feeling different. Because dreams should not have borders."