Meet nine courageous young adults who have lived in the United States with a secret for much of their lives: they are not U.S. citizens. They came from Colombia, Mexico, Ghana, Independent Samoa, and Korea. They came seeking education, fleeing violence, and escaping poverty. All have heartbreaking and hopeful stories about leaving their homelands and starting a new life in America. And all are weary of living in the shadows.

The book was scheduled to be published in 2017 with full-color portraits of the young people who were interviewed for it. Since that time, executive action regarding DACA recipients has been in flux, making it risky for many of the participants to reveal their identities. Their images, names, and other identifiers have been withheld to protect the inspiring people who share their stories in these pages.

Part I. Coming to America : La familia, part I -- La familia, part II -- No more deaths: a photo-essay / Reverend John Fife -- We saw a rabbit -- Under my shadow -- Part II. Twists and turns : Lucky breaks -- The American dream is so powerful -- Go big or go home -- Who we are -- United States immigration law and executive actions.