Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture

Beyond Status: Living Undocumented in Disruptive Times

An undocumented immigration status can profoundly affect a person’s ability to access resources, achieve economic stability, and experience a sense of belonging. These impacts are deeply felt and far-reaching, with “undocumented” often obscuring the richness and depth of the lives led by millions of immigrants across the country.

Drawing on her research and community engagement, Dr. Pinedo-Turnovsky will explore how undocumented status is shaped by – and in turn shapes – a disruptive legal and political system. At the same time, she will examine how living with an undocumented status can be a source of mobilization, rights consciousness and empowerment.

Dr. Pinedo-Turnovsky will guide us in considering how undocumented status is implicated by systems of immigration and citizenship and the importance of examining these issues through a lens that recognizes personhood and lived experience.

Carolyn Pinedo-Turnovsky is a sociologist in the Department of American Ethnic Studies at the University of Washington, where she also holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Sociology. She is an Undocu-Ally Educator and serves as the Faculty Advisor to Purple Group. Her research focuses on migration, labor, race, and Latinx studies, with particular attention to individuals living with undocumented, temporary, and irregular immigration statuses in the United States. Her first book, Daily Labors: Marketing Identity and Bodies on a New York City Street Corner (Temple University Press, 2019), explores the working experiences of a street corner community of day laborers.  Her current book project examines undocumented-ness and the range of documenting practices carried out by the state and by immigrants.