guatemalcriada
asked:
While I know the synopsis comes from the publisher, is it necessary for Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to refer to the undocumented immigrant protagonist as "illegal" in their description of the book?
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Deborah Drucker
The protagonist refers to himself, and other undocumented immigrants, as illegal, and what it means to be ¨legal¨ vs. ¨illegal¨ in Australia is a large part of the narrative.
Caitlin
The term ‘undocumented� immigrant isn’t one that is used in Australia. Possibly ‘asylum seeker� is what would be used if a term with a more positive connotation was being used. But as others have pointed out, illegal immigrant is the term used by the author, and it in more common usage in Australia than in the USA, which I think is where you are from. The immigration/asylum seeker narrative in Australia has may significant differences to that experienced in the US, so it’s worth leaving those assumptions behind you when reading this.
Teik-Kim Pok
The protagonist and other characters play with the notion of legality as daily existential reminder. For twenty years, which the book seems to reach back into, this practice of defining seeking asylum as a moral trangression has been a plaything by the Australian govt, and has been enthusiastically copied by ICE in the US
Robert Blumenthal
Well, you might want to take that up with the author, who uses the word repeatedly throughout the novel.
Fiona H
Danny's student visa has run out and the visa also became invalid once he was quit studying. He has not been granted asylum so he now needs to stay below the radar as a visa overstayer (or illegal).
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