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We Were Illegal: Uncovering a Texas Family's Mythmaking and Migration
An award-winning author's deep exploration of pivotal moments in Texas history through multiple generations of her own family, and a ruthless reexamination of our national and personal myths
Over seven generations, Jessica Goudeau’s family members were church elders, preachers, Sunday school teachers and potluck organizers. Her great-grandfather helped establish a Christian university in Abilene, Texas, which she attended along with her grandparents, parents, siblings, and cousins. Her family's legacy--a word she heard often growing up--was rooted in faithfulness, righteousness, and the hard work that built the great state of Texas. It wasn’t until she began to dig more deeply into the story of the land she lives on today in suburban Austin, that she discovered her family’s far more complicated role in Texas history, from early illegal settlements on Mexican land, bringing slavery to the state, up through the redlining policies her great-grandfather signed into place that have ramifications even now.
Tracking her ancestors' involvement in pivotal moments from before the Texas Revolution to the Civil War to the rise of the Texas Rangers, up through today, We Were Illegal is at once an intimate and character-driven narrative and an insider's revisionist look at a state that prides itself on its history. It is an act of reckoning and recovery on a personal scale, as well as a reflection of the work we must do as a nation to dismantle the whitewashed narratives that are passed down through families, communities, and textbooks. It is only through facing these hypocrisies and long-buried histories that we will be able to move past this fractured time in our country, take accountability for our legacy, and learn to be better, more honest ancestors.
Over seven generations, Jessica Goudeau’s family members were church elders, preachers, Sunday school teachers and potluck organizers. Her great-grandfather helped establish a Christian university in Abilene, Texas, which she attended along with her grandparents, parents, siblings, and cousins. Her family's legacy--a word she heard often growing up--was rooted in faithfulness, righteousness, and the hard work that built the great state of Texas. It wasn’t until she began to dig more deeply into the story of the land she lives on today in suburban Austin, that she discovered her family’s far more complicated role in Texas history, from early illegal settlements on Mexican land, bringing slavery to the state, up through the redlining policies her great-grandfather signed into place that have ramifications even now.
Tracking her ancestors' involvement in pivotal moments from before the Texas Revolution to the Civil War to the rise of the Texas Rangers, up through today, We Were Illegal is at once an intimate and character-driven narrative and an insider's revisionist look at a state that prides itself on its history. It is an act of reckoning and recovery on a personal scale, as well as a reflection of the work we must do as a nation to dismantle the whitewashed narratives that are passed down through families, communities, and textbooks. It is only through facing these hypocrisies and long-buried histories that we will be able to move past this fractured time in our country, take accountability for our legacy, and learn to be better, more honest ancestors.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
416 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 5, 2024
Highly recommended. This book is a really powerful and unflinching look at Texas myth-making through the lens of the author's family history. She does this by dividing the book into parts that connect the larger history with particular ancestors, and each is fascinating in its own right, while also forming a larger story as we progress through time.
She comes to the conclusion that her family exemplifies a belief that seems to drive the worst of American (and Texan) white privilege and racism: "The belief that our right to flourish was God-given, and higher than anyone else's rights - including the right to exist - has always been there, in every generation as far back as I could trace my family roots."
Through all the different aspects of the story, the author reminds us how close what she is describing is to what we are going through right now across the whole US, which is obviously true and terrifying. The fact that she is telling these stories gives me a lot of hope. And I recommend the book to you for that reason. It may be specifically about Texas, but there's a lot to learn for all of us in this book.
She comes to the conclusion that her family exemplifies a belief that seems to drive the worst of American (and Texan) white privilege and racism: "The belief that our right to flourish was God-given, and higher than anyone else's rights - including the right to exist - has always been there, in every generation as far back as I could trace my family roots."
Through all the different aspects of the story, the author reminds us how close what she is describing is to what we are going through right now across the whole US, which is obviously true and terrifying. The fact that she is telling these stories gives me a lot of hope. And I recommend the book to you for that reason. It may be specifically about Texas, but there's a lot to learn for all of us in this book.
July 18, 2024
I ordered this book after reading a review that mentioned the author’s connection to a conservative church and affiliated university. I thought it might be the church I was brought up in, and the university from which I graduated. So I began reading this book with special interest, and I was not disappointed. Through telling the tales of her ancestors, Goudeau brings history to life, both the good and the bad parts of our history. She ties the past to the divisions of today—such a relevant book. And here is what is true both in the past and today—“The belief that our right to flourish was God-given, and higher than anyone else’s rights—including the right to exist—has always been there, in every generation as far back as I could trace my family roots.” Jessica Goudeau is not just telling the story of her family, but untold white families who have lived and died believing that terrible lie. A powerful book, and a brave author.
June 30, 2024
It felt like this book was all over the place. There was some interesting historical bits, not many. It’s about the authors family (truthfully not that interesting) and they weren’t particularly infamous nor compelling. The few pictures she drew about “the times”, lifestyles, slavery were good. Overall it’s pretty boring and just her on an adventure to track her ancestors. Pretty common theme and a “who cares” if they aren’t your family?!
July 14, 2024
It’s not you, it’s me. I will preface by saying I probably wasn’t in the right headspace to fully appreciate this book. The author examines her family history in the state of Texas, and draws parallels between how the history has shaped the present in that state, and what role her family played in it all. She looks at the treatment of indigenous people, slavery, state rights, civil rights and several other issues. I had a very hard time getting into the reading, but I recognize the content is valuable and well written. Her main premise is that most social issues stem from one group’s belief that their rights are inherently superior to others’. That has historically been true and continues to dominate the narrative today.
I wanted to give it 3 stars but realize it probably merits four.
I wanted to give it 3 stars but realize it probably merits four.
July 17, 2024
This book tells the story of tumultuous times in Texas’ history through Goudeau’s own family tree. Goudeau said she started her research because she had questions about the stories she heard her whole life about her family and her home state and what she uncovered was a much messier truth than she had previously known.
July 18, 2024
Way too much about their family feuding than about the main issue.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews