As early as the age of fifteen, Cornejo Villavicencio began writing professionally about jazz for a downtown NYC jazz publication. Cornejo Villavicencio began writing professionally as a teenager. In April 2021, she published her memoir
The Undocumented Americans and in July 2024 she published her debut novel,
Catalina. The Undocumented Americans In 2010, when Cornejo Villavicencio was a senior in college and before
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was established, she wrote an essay, “I'm an Illegal Immigrant at Harvard”, which was published anonymously by the
Daily Beast. Literary agents reached out to ask if she'd be interested in writing a memoir, which she says made her angry, as she was at the time 21. She felt most were interested in having her write "a rueful tale about a sickly Victorian orphan with tuberculosis who didn't have a social security number". Cornejo Villavicencio tells her own immigration story and profiles undocumented immigrants across the United States, detailing the trauma of those recruited to clean up ground zero, the loneliness of day laborers in Staten Island, the struggle that many faced with the water crisis in Flint, Michigan etc. She has said she wasn't interested in writing about DACA recipients, as the stories of DACA recipients are already well-documented and "occupy outsize attention in our politics". The memoir serves as a piece designed to clear up misconceptions surrounding the undocumented community, and may serve as a reflective work for those who have legal status. In her work, she explores themes like immigration, spirituality, and identity. Cornejo also addresses the impact of immigration, deportation and undocumented life on mental health, particularly among young individuals. She shares personal stories, such as witnessing her father collapse and sob on the floor after losing his job, highlighting the harsh reality faced by many migrant children. Working at Ground Zero, these workers endured poor conditions, being exposed to toxic dust and debris without proper equipment and receiving inadequate pay. Day laborers were also major contributors to the restoration efforts of hurricane-struck Staten Island, working as unpaid volunteers following Hurricane Sandy.
Reception Remezcla called
The Undocumented Americans a "creative non-fiction masterpiece".
The Adroit Journal called her writing style "very precise and also casual, almost nonchalant".
Caitlin Dickerson, writing for
The New York Times, called the book "captivating and evocative".
Kirkus Reviews points out that because any identifiable details have been changed, the reader has to trust that Cornejo Villavicencio hasn't embellished, but notes her "candor about herself removes worries about the credibility of her stories". Daisy Muñoz, writing for the LatinX Project at
New York University, said "Cornejo’s storytelling flawlessly goes from her experiences to those of her interviewees, all the while weaving everyone’s histories into a compassionate and nuanced narrative of what it means to live an undocumented life".
The Common called it "heavy and gorgeous and astoundingly humane".
Smithsonian gave it a starred review. It has been shortlisted for the 2020 National Book Award for Nonfiction; according to the National Book Foundation she is the first undocumented writer to be a finalist. == Personal life ==