Beyond Borders: Highlighting Immigration Stories

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa speaks with three trailblazing authors about the power of telling immigrant stories as a part of the World Literature and Arts Festival at 53rd Street Library!

New York City, a city founded by immigrants, has been shaped and enriched by generations of newcomers across the five boroughs. Each story of immigration is deeply personal and unique; at the same time, many immigrants share core experiences of settling in a new place. Finding community, speaking a second language, navigating institutions and paperwork, staying connected to culture—these experiences shape the lives of countless people who call the city home.

This event brings together authors Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, Grace M. Cho, and Ruben Reyes Jr. in conversation with author and journalist Maria Hinojosa to explore modern stories of immigration. They'll discuss the connections between their work, navigating the world of publishing, and how immigrant stories can speak to our moment.

To join in person | Please be sure to register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins.

For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. If you register for multiple tickets, please provide the name of each person who will be attending the event or arrive with your entire party present. Only registered patrons will be granted entry into the event space. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

To join online | A livestream of this event will be available on the NYPL event page. To receive an email reminder shortly in advance of the event, please be sure to register here!  If you encounter any issues, please join us on NYPL's YouTube channel.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The New York Public Library’s World Literature & Arts Festival (April 14–30, 2026) celebrates writers, artists, and creators from NYC and around the globe. Join us for free events, programs, book recommendations, and resources for all ages.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Maria Hinojosa is the Pulitzer Prize-winning founder of Futuro Media based in New York City. She is the anchor and Executive Producer of Latino USA, and producer of the Pulitzer Prize-winning podcast Suave.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS 

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio is the author of the National Book Award finalist THE UNDOCUMENTED AMERICANS. Her debut novel, CATALINA, was longlisted for the National Book Award. Her work, which focuses on race, culture, and immigration, has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Elle, This American Life, n+1, The New Inquiry, and Vogue.

Grace M. Cho is the author of Tastes Like War (Feminist Press, 2021), a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award in nonfiction and the winner of the 2022 Asian Pacific American Literature Award in adult nonfiction. Her first book, Haunting the Korean Diaspora: Shame, Secrecy, and the Forgotten War (University of Minnesota Press, 2008), received a 2010 book award from the American Sociological Association. Her writings have appeared in The Nation, Catapult, The New Inquiry, Poem Memoir Story, Contexts, Gastronomica, Feminist Studies, Women's Studies Quarterly, and Qualitative Inquiry. She is currently a New America ASU Future Security Fellow and a Professor of Sociology at the College of Staten Island, CUNY.

Ruben Reyes Jr. is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants and the author of There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Harvard College, his writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Lightspeed Magazine, and other publications. Originally from Southern California, he now lives in Brooklyn.

BOOKS AND MORE

If you have a NYPL library card, you can borrow books related this event and even more NYPL e-books—on your favorite device. Learn more: nypl.org/ebookhelp

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person

• You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email [email protected].


• This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

Online

• Live captioning will be provided.


• You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email [email protected].

CONNECT

For general questions, please email [email protected].

Please submit all press inquiries at least 48 hours before the event: email [email protected].