Citizen Illegal

“Citizen Illegal is right on time, bringing both empathy and searing critique to the fore as a nation debates the very humanity of the people who built it.” 
—Eve Ewing, author of Electric Arches

“José Olivarez is fearless in Citizen Illegal, his debut poetry collection about life as a first-generation Mexican American. The book looks inward and outward, both intimate and expansive — highlighting the shared frustrations and fears of fighting prejudice and systemic bias, while shouting what should be obvious: Mexican immigrants (like any population) are not a monolith. Olivarez forces readers to reckon with the very human consequences of our nation's actions at the border and beyond, at a time when those actions have created a real humanitarian crisis. Olivarez's writing is vital in both senses of the word — full of life, and absolutely necessary.”
—Buzzfeed Books

“Citizen Illegal is a poetic assault on the state and cultural processes that continue to stamp out empathy and humanity within the rise of today’s migratory drift and its management by the state.”
—The Brooklyn Rail

“Incredible... Olivarez gives us the poem as incantation, using language to transcend the limits of social constructions and the physical, temporal world.”
—The Rumpus

“José Olivarez’s work shines a spotlight on the often-overlooked stories of Mexican-Americans in the Midwest. This identity is illustrated throughout Citizen Illegal in all of its complexities—the connections between Mexican-Americans and labor and the all too familiar feeling of being ni de aqui, ni de alla (not from here, nor there).”
—Remezcla

“To be Mexican in America is to be talked about, to be labeled and debated, all without being asked and respected. Citizen Illegal is pitch-perfect.”
—The Millions

“Citizen Illegal is not only a commentary on timely and complicated  issues of race, immigration, and ethnicity, but also a celebration, a journey toward a self and a family identity that is grounded not merely in geography but in the veined map of the heart.”
—Rhino Poetry

“A high-octane take on the rhythms and contradictions of life as a first-generation child of Mexican parents.”
—Booklist

“Poets like José Olivarez, a son of Mexican immigrants, are vital to keeping this nation from tearing apart—if only we could get Citizen Illegal, his debut collection, into the hands of the anti-immigrant crowd.”
—Foreword Reviews

“A necessary read... With a searing precision, José Olivarez takes aim at the American paradigm and how ‘folding’ oneself to fit into it is fruitless.”
—AFROPUNK

“In his stunning debut collection, José Olivarez explores the complexities of an identity in flux. Citizen Illegal acts as an oasis for acceptance and resistance—an ode of gratitude for in-between spaces.”
—The Arkansas International

“A poet never arrives ahead or behind schedule, but rather at just the right moment. Through his masterful demonstration of control over the pen, Olivarez has established himself as not only a voice to be reckoned with and mindful of, but also one that deserves to be respected.”
—Cultural Weekly

“José Olivarez’s Citizen Illegal uncovers the flaws in language and the systems those flaws perpetuate.”
—Newcity


“Citizen Illegal is a fearless, instrumental, honest collection of poetry. In other words, the book is fire.  Skilled, tender, funny, yet undecorated, Olivarez’s poetry navigates the razor sharp duality and utter contradiction of citizenship. These poems helps us carry the weight of biases, the absurdity of our prejudices; they help us seek documentation for our humanity which cannot, by any means, be dictated by policy makers. Let it be said that these poems are also love poems. Olivarez chooses to use his voice, sometimes brutal, sometimes bloody and blistered, to confront our monstrosity, yet he never shies away from love, even when he exposes the lies we keep in order to live. Keep an eye out for José Olivarez: he might be the poet you need when it’s time to cross a line, destruct borders, and still come out on the other side with your dreams intact.”
—Willie Perdomo, author of The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon

“Citizen Illegal is a stunning piece of artwork from beginning to end. A vivid journey on José’s real life experiences which open-heartedly allows you to discover many of the things people don’t often talk about: love, anxiety, fear, and hopefulness. This book is inspirational and culturally rich, giving you all types of feelings with first hand insight on what it feels like to be Latino. Poets like José and books like Citizen Illegal are essential to our community.”
—Luis Carranza, poet & member of Young Chicago Authors 2017 Bomb Squad

“When I read this book, I can hear José reading these poems out loud to me, into a microphone, in conversation. There is not one time that I read his collection that I didn’t cry. I cried of joy, of sadness, of just seeing and feeling the printed celebration and exploration of what it means to be a first-generation Mexican-American. If and when I need to be reminded of the love I have for being a first generation Mexican American, I am able to turn to these moments in this collection: a neighborhood in which we can be as open and loud and soft as we want to be. In this neighborhood, I can also find all the deafening shame and heart- breaking fear my family and I have tried to hide. José pulls this love and this family and these secrets onto a platform we, as a community, can celebrate, acknowledge, laugh, and cry juntitos. Muchísimas gracias a José por siendo tan valiente y integro. Llevaré estas poemas conmigo por siempre.”
—Vicky Peralta, poet & member of Young Chicago Authors 2017 Bomb Squad