FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is “The Ark of the Undocumented”?
An enormous, communally-owned and communally-directed, anthology of non-fiction told by Latino immigrants, most of them undocumented. Each storyteller collaborates with writer Víctor María Chamán, under the auspices of the Workers’ Center of CNY (WCCNY).
Do the non-fiction stories focus on one, or a few, themes?
Neither. People told whatever stories they wanted to, in the form and style of their choosing. More than a dozen participants decided that the story they wanted to share would be, simply, the story of their entire lives. Our themes encompass the full breadth of life.
How do the storytellers and the writer collaborate?
All stories were shared with Chamán, ninety percent of them verbally, the rest through handwritten notebooks and pages. Most participants, in the course of their storytelling, mentioned what they wanted to accomplish, personally or artistically, by telling their tale. No time or word-limits were set. People spoke their truth, even if it took days, across a couple years. No themes or directions were ever given. All of the main storytelling sessions have been completed, leaving only secondary additions and fact checking.
Then, editorial assistants, often volunteers, carried out one of two tasks: either they transcribed the audio recordings of the storytelling sessions or they digitized and typed the hand-written submissions.
Taking into account all the ancillary conversations, the writer then sets out to transform every entry into an undeniable prose narrative that accomplishes the narrator’s goals and vision exactly, paying careful attention to their vocabulary and other verbal idiosyncrasies.
Since early in that writing process, and according to their interest and availability, storytellers edit drafts of their own stories with the writer. Ownership of the intellectual property resulting from the collaboration is split, with 85% going to the storyteller and 15% to the
writer.
Who came up with this idea?
This literary and communal experiment was initially thought out by the members of the WCCNY and the writer. Chamán served the non-profit as a volunteer and then as an organizer for about a year in each position, so the members knew him. After hearing of the Artist Employment Program, a grant given by Creatives Rebuild New York, WCCNY staff asked Chamán to present various types of literary collaborations that both he and workers would be interested in participating in, out of which this project was chosen by the membership.
Who could participate in the project and why?
All Latino immigrants and their descendants living in the state of New York. The early participants in the storytellers’ committee chose this criterion, perhaps the only demographic characteristic everybody present shared.
Shortly after, strangers outnumbered WCCNY members and took the project into strange places. Currently, our collective consists of forty-four immigrants across the state and five of their descendants, most of them unknown to the writer or the non-profit before involvement. Our geographical location almost conversely mirrors urban density in this state: most of us come from, or live in, rural communities.
What do you hope to accomplish with this project?
Our project is fully bilingual and we expect to complete our 2,400 pages of original stories in Spanish and the same amount in English, according to our current estimates. We seek a publisher and desire nationwide distribution.
Artistically, beyond saying, “here are our stories, written excellently, and in our own words,” the collective has no specific goals. Or rather, we participants have too many — and too varied and contradictory — ambitions to mention just a few. Each storyteller tells his or her story for a different reason and with a different readership in mind.
What is the state of the project so far?
As for the first day of 2026, we have finished two twin manuscripts—one in English, the other one in Spanish, 410 pages each. In addition, 140 pages in Q’anjob’al and 25 in Hñahñú accompany our debut.
We are also preparing to embark on a circuit of dramatic readings and performances throughout Central New York in the late Spring and Summer of 2026.
Who makes decisions about the project?
A volunteer storytellers’ committee, comprised solely of participants. They discuss and take on all large and difficult decisions, while also providing general guidance to the writer in the course of his travels and work. Day-to-day decisions, just like other operative matters, are taken by Chamán and the WCCNY staff.
How were Latino storytellers selected, and which of their stories made the cut?
Nobody was selected. All storytellers who met the criteria and who expressed interest in participating were welcomed. Many found out through word-of-mouth or through the usual communication networks of the non-profit. We did not advertise.
As for the stories, no selection was made either. Everything a narrator shared is included. And herein lies the chief challenge for, and need of, our writer’s talents. Our curatorial philosophy is guided by three principles: free speech, totality, and anarchy. Art happens and ours, in particular, through one experiment of trust after another.
What is the ¡PA’LANTE! / ONWARD! series?
An early selection of bilingual excerpts from The Ark of the Undocumented, published in chapbooks. It’s how we share our stories with you, our early reader, most succinctly and immediately.
Please support us by buying our booklet here, or in person at the Syracuse Cultural Workers’ store.
Have you received public funds?
The collective has not sought public funding, nor do we have any plans to do so. While this decision puts our endeavor in a more tenuous financial standing, we believe this commitment also strengthens our project’s independence and artistic vision.
We immigrants, in general, and the undocumented, in specific, have been much maligned regarding our supposed non-contributions and abuse of the public coffers. It’s a lie. We pay so much more than we take and we would like our literary art to show that.
What type of volunteers is the project looking for?
We’re looking for translators, transcribers, copyeditors, creative writers, graphic and audiovisual designers, photo/videographers, art organizers, actors, grant writers, among others.
Please write us an email if you’d like to get involved.