Living "Illegal"
The Human Face of Unauthorized Immigration
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- £12.99
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- £12.99
Publisher Description
A myth-busting account of the tragedies, trials, and successes of undocumented immigration in the United States.
For decades now, America’s polarizing debate over immigration revolved around a set of one-dimensional characters and unchallenged stereotypes. The resulting policies—from the creation of ICE in 2003 to Arizona’s draconian law SB 1070—are dangerous and profoundly counterproductive.
Based on years of research into the lives of ordinary migrants, Living “Illegal” offers richly textured stories of real people—working, building families, and enriching their communities even as the political climate grows more hostile. In the words of Publishers Weekly, it is a “compassionate and well-reasoned exploration of why migrants come to the U.S. and how they integrate into American society.”
Moving beyond conventional arguments, Living “Illegal” challenges our assumptions about who these people are and how they have adapted to the confusing patchwork of local immigration ordinances. This revealing narrative takes us into Southern churches (often the only organizations open to migrants), into the fields of Florida, onto the streets of major American cities during the immigrant rights marches of 2006, and across national boundaries—from Brazil to Mexico and Guatemala.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this probing investigation, a team of scholars in political science, religion, and Latin American studies offers a considered account of the complex global dynamics that shape immigration in America. The authors track the oscillations in U.S. immigration policy, from the open borders of the country's early history through the rising tide of nativism in the early 20th century and the growing restrictiveness of immigration policy over the past 20 years. Focusing on emerging immigrant destinations like Atlanta and South Florida, the book charts long-standing patterns of immigration between Mexico and the U.S., as well as newer inflows from Guatemala and Brazil. It shows firsthand the plight of undocumented day laborers who make easy targets for exploitative bosses, the parents who are separated from their children, the women assaulted or raped as they cross through Mexico as well as the quieter stories of immigrants joining churches, paying taxes, and contributing to their communities, emphasizing the church's role in this negotiation between two worlds. In its compassionate and well-reasoned exploration of why migrants come to the U.S. and how they integrate into American society, this book appeals to what Lincoln called "the better angels of our nature" and makes a well-reasoned case for a more humane immigration policy.
