“Immigrants have contributed great things to our nation: James Naismith gave us basketball, Levi Strauss gave us blue jeans, and Felipe Torres Medina wrote a funny book about immigration and sexy centaurs.”
— Stephen Colbert

The Books & Books Literary Foundation presents…

AN EVENING WITH FELIPE TORRES MEDINA

in conversation with

Carmen Pelaez

discussing

America, Let Me In: A Choose Your Immigration Story

 (Abrams Image, $24.99)

Tuesday, May 27th, 7 PM | Books & Books, Coral Gables

RSVP HERE FOR FREE

Books & Books and the Books & Books LIterary Foundation are proud to present an evening with Felipe Torres Medina discussing America, Let Me In: A Choose Your Immigration Story (Abrams Image, $24.99). He will be in conversation with Carmen Pelaez. This event is in partnership with Americans for Immigrant Justice.

This event is FREE and open to the public and books will be available for purchase the night of the event! Please RSVP only if you intend to join us.

About the Book:

A hilarious and satirically accurate introduction to the United States immigration system from comedian and writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Felipe Torres Medina

Born in Colombia, Felipe Torres Medina moved to the US at the age of 21 and has spent over ten years of his life both navigating the chaos and confusion of the immigration system and explaining that craziness to the clueless Americans around him. There are few subjects that Americans have stronger opinions on. And there are few subjects that they know less about.

So, like many immigrants before him, Torres Medina sets out to do the job American-born citizens won’t: make the US immigration process accessible, relatable, and, hey, a little bit funny. With an outsider’s eye, an insider’s affection, and a biting, humorous flair, Torres Medina invites readers from all passport lines to explore the multiple paths and potholes of moving to America, and experience just how many choices it takes to choose a new home.

In this laugh-out-loud book, you will be taken down a multitude of possible immigration stories that range from the kafkaesquely silly to an uproarious good time. Some of them are real things that happened to Felipe—like discovering in an immigration interview that he shares a name with several criminals—and some of them are totally invented and will make you question your sanity.

By the end of this handy guide, you’ll learn all you need to know about visas like the H-1B work visa, the infamous 90-day fiancé visa, the so-called Einstein visa, and many more. Remember, the fate of each character’s journey is all in your hands. So choose at your own risk.

BUY THE BOOK HERE

About the Author:

Felipe Torres Medina is a Peabody and Writers Guild of America Award–winning writer from Bogotá, Colombia. His writing for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has earned him five Emmy nominations. His humor has appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, and others. He lives in New York City with his wife and is totally chill when you misspell his birth country’s name. (He is not.)

About the Moderator:

Carmen Pelaez, Macdowell Fellow (23) Commissioned by Miami New Drama, Oolite Cinematic Arts and The Huntington theater to create new work. Most recently her play The Cuban Vote was presented in the Reading Room at the Folger Library in DC and her Macdowell supported one act play Waiting for America which was part of Musem Plays was chosen best theatrical experience in Miami in 2024. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, NBC Latino and Huffpo. Constantly inspired by old and new Miami, because cognitive dissonance makes great drama, Carmen is always looking for ways to share the stories this incredible city hides in plain sight. Currently she’s working on her latest commission Caridad as well as developing a bilingual television series, Ventanita.