How does it feel to be unwanted? : stories of resistance and resilience from Mexicans living in the United States

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Title:

How does it feel to be unwanted? : stories of resistance and resilience from Mexicans living in the United States

Author:

Truax, Eileen, author.

ISBN:

9780807073384

Physical Description:

208 pages ; 23 cm

Subject Term:

Mexicans -- United States.

Immigrants -- United States.

Discrimination -- United States.

United States -- Emigration and immigration -- Social aspects.

Mexico -- Emigration and immigration -- Social aspects.

Summary:

"Each of these 13 stories of Mexicans in the United States are rich and humanizing, illuminating the scope and breadth of a frequently stereotyped population. Eileen Truax tells the stories of thirteen Mexican immigrants, some documented, some not living in America. Truax offers a comprehensive, highly personal portrait of the great diversity of the Mexican community by using the stories, words, and life experiences gathered from countless interviews. We meet Omar Leon, a day laborer in Los Angeles who coordinates the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, and plays with the popular band Los Jornaleros del Norte. We learn about Jeanette Vizguerra, who came to symbolize the sanctuary movement when she took shelter in a church in Denver in February 2017 to avoid an order of deportation. On April 20, she got a phone call telling her Time magazine had named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. After crossing the border illegally with his mother as a child, Al Labrada joined the military after high school to get on a path to citizenship; in March 2017 he was promoted to Captain in the Los Angeles Police Department. Many Mexicans in the United States are here legally, yet are still subject to the virulent anti-immigrant sentiment and bigotry that has existed for centuries"--

"Dreamers and their allies, those who care about immigration justice, and anyone interested in the experience of Mexicans in the US will respond to these stories of Mexican immigrants (some documented, some not) illuminating their complex lives. Regardless of status, many are subjected to rights violations, inequality, and violence--all of which existed well before the Trump administration--and have profound feelings of being unwanted in the country they call home"--

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Stillwater Public Library	973.0468 TRU	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Dreamers and their allies, those who care about immigration justice, and anyone interested in the experience of Mexicans in the US will respond to these stories of Mexican immigrants (some documented, some not) illuminating their complex lives. Regardless of status, many are subjected to rights violations, inequality, and violence--all of which existed well before the Trump administration--and have profound feelings of being unwanted in the country they call home.

There's Monica Robles , the undocumented mother of three US citizens who is literally confined to a strip of territory between two checkpoints--one at the Mexico border and one twenty-seven miles north of the border. We meet Jeanette Vizguerra , who came to symbolize the sanctuary movement when she took shelter in a Denver church in February 2017 to avoid deportation. (Later that year, Time magazine named her one of the one hundred most influential people in the world.) There's Daniel Rodriguez , the first undocumented immigration lawyer in Arizona to successfully obtain a license to practice. Alberto Mendoza , who suffered persecution as a gay man for years, in 2013 founded Honor 41, a national Latina/o LGBTQ organization that promotes positive images of their community. After crossing the border illegally with his mother as a child, Al Labrada later joined the military to get on a path to citizenship; in March 2017, he was promoted to captain in the Los Angeles Police Department. These and eight other stories will broaden how you think about Mexicans in America.

Author Notes

Originally from Mexico, journalist Eileen Truax has lived in Los Angeles since 2004. Truax contributes regularly to the Spanish-language versions of the New York Times , Newsweek, and Vice, as well as for other Latin American and Spanish publications. Truax is the author of Dreamers- An Immigrant Generation's Fight for Their American Dream and forthcoming author of We Built the Wall , about how the US shuts down asylum seekers (Verso, 2018).

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

Respected journalist Truax follows Dreamers: An Immigrant Generation's Fight for the American Dream (2015) with an effort to answer the anguished question she poses in the title of this slim volume. It contains tales she gleaned from a broad spectrum of Mexican immigrants, some documented but most not. Truax juxtaposes their compelling life stories with statistics about everything from the high percentage of Mexican immigrants who enlist in the armed forces to the dwindling number of people crossing the border without documents. The individuals she portrays represent a rich cross section of males and females of diverse sexual orientations, young and mature, able and disabled, professionals and laborers from all over Mexico, and now residing primarily in California, Colorado, Arizona, and Kansas. Most of Truax's subjects were brought to the U.S. as children, who grew up fearing deportation. Truax reports on how they overcame adverse circumstances through hard work, a passion for justice, and a desire to help their communities. Clarifying and timely.--Sara Martinez Copyright 2018 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Veteran reporter Truax weaves the stories of 18 immigrants with cogent analysis of the broader social circumstances of their status to offer a compelling picture of courage and resistance. One chapter points out that one of every five U.S. women is Latina. "Every day is a battle," says Yunuen Bonaparte, who has overcome incredible obstacles not only to earn a college education but also to start a center at her school for undocumented students and begin a career as a photojournalist. Also profiled is Daniel Rodrígues, the only undocumented lawyer licensed in Arizona. Truax characteristically tells a personal story. Ana Elena Soto-Harrison met her husband while he was on a business trip to Mexico City. His job has taken him across the United States; consequently, Ana has seen how Mexican Americans have been welcomed in many different places. Fortunately, she's endured some good experiences, including being a volunteer Spanish teacher in a public school. VERDICT Truax's book is special because it tells riveting personal stories while making the case for a more humane immigration policy that will make even the most callous public official soften. Highly recommended for all readers.-David Azzolina, Univ. of Pennsylvania Libs., Philadelphia © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Booklist Review

Library Journal Review

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