Hispanic Heritage month continues until October 15, and this is my third post in a series of three with book recommendations. Don’t let the fact that these books were written for tweens or teens fool you: they are intense, and cover important themes.
While we’re taking about books, I have exciting news: my friend Dora Rodriguez, about whom I’ve written before on this blog, is opening a community library in the small border town of Sásabe, Sonora, Mexico. I’ve been collecting Spanish-language books to donate to the library. In case you want to join me in supporting this important work, I’ve made a wish list here: amzn.to/3sYH1Nz. Used books are fine if they’re in very good condition.
Hispanic Heritage month runs from September 15—October 15 in the U.S. This year I have so many book recommendations that I’ve split them up into three categories: Children’s books, Middle Grade & Young Adult books, and Adult books. Today’s post is the second in a series of three.
While we’re taking about books, I have exciting news: my friend Dora Rodriguez, about whom I’ve written before on this blog, is opening a community library in the small border town of Sásabe, Sonora, Mexico. I’ve been collecting Spanish-language books to donate to the library. In case you want to join me in supporting this important work, I’ve made a wish list of books I don’t yet have. Check it out here: amzn.to/3sYH1Nz. Used books are fine if they’re in very good condition.
And now, I give you my adult book recommendations for Hispanic Heritage month. Happy reading!
My Boy Will Die of Sorrow: A Memoir of Immigration from the Front Lines, by Efrén C. Olivares
Caramelo: A Novel, by Sandra Cisneros
Antes de Ser Libres/Before We Were Free, by Julia Alvarez
De Cómo las Muchachas García Perdieron el Acento/How the García Girls Lost their Accents, by Julia Alvarez
El Gusano de Tequila/The Tequila Worm, by Viola Canales
La Fruta del Borrachero: Una Novela/Fruit of the Drunken Tree: A Novel, by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
El Hombre que Movía las Nubes/The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir, by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Como Agua para Chocolate: Novela de Entregas Mensuales con Recetas, Amores, y Remedios Caseros/Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies, by Laura Esquivel
Sabrina and Corina: Stories, by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Hispanic Heritage month runs from September 15—October 15 in the U.S. This year I have so many book recommendations that I’ll be splitting them up into three categories: Children’s books, Middle Grade & Young Adult books, and Adult books. This is the first in a series of three posts, so stay tuned for more reading recos!
While we’re taking about books, I have exciting news: my friend Dora Rodriguez, about whom I’ve written before on this blog, is opening a community library in the small border town of Sásabe, Sonora, Mexico. I’ve been collecting Spanish-language books to donate to the library; in case you want to join me in supporting this important work, I’ve made a wish list of books I don’t yet have. Check it out here: amzn.to/3sYH1Nz. Used books are fine if they’re in very good condition.
And now, I give you my children’s book recommendations for Hispanic Heritage month. Happy reading!
Until Someone Listens: A Story about Borders, Family, and One Girl’s Mission, by Estela Juarez with Lisette Norman, illustrated by Teresa Martínez
Hija/Little One, by Ariel Andrés Almada and Sonja Wimmer
Los Deseos de Carmela/Carmela Full of Wishes, by Matt De La Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson
Esperando el Biblioburro/Waiting for the Biblioburro, by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra
El Caballero que no Tenía Caballo, by J.S. Pinillos, illustrated by Ana Sáez del Arco
Dragones y Tacos, by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
Es Nochebuena/’Twas Nochebuena, by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by Sara Palacios
My Name Is / Me Llamo Gabriela: The Life of / La Vida de Gabriela Mistral, by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra
Diego Rivera: His World and Ours, by Duncan Tonatiuh
The Story of Frida Kahlo: A Biography Book for New Readers, by Susan B. Katz
Poems to Dream Together/Poemas para Soñar Juntos, by Francisco X. Alarcón, illustrated by Paula Barragan
Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems/Jitomates Risueños y otros poemas de primavera, by Francisco X. Alarcón, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems/Iguanas en la Nieve y otros poems de invierno, by Francisco X. Alarcón, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
Angels Ride Bikes and Other Fall Poems/Los Angeles Andan en Bicicletas y otros poemas de otoño, by Francisco X. Alarcón, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
Dora Rodriguez is one of my favorite people. After spending an entire day together in and near Sásabe, Sonora, Mexico, Dora invited me to join her and a group of friends again, this time on a trip to Yuma. The trip had a few goals: to see the wall and the border in Yuma, to meet with Dora’s friends Fernando and Nathalie there and witness to their work, to deliver supplies to Fernando and Nathalie, and to introduce these friends and places to three other friends of Dora plus myself. Our fearless traveling companions included Sister Judy, a badass feminist nun; a young man named Isaac whom Dora sponsored out of immigrant jail; and his girlfriend, who also volunteers at Casa de la Esperanza.
Isaac immigrated from the aptly named Guerrero (warrior) state in Mexico, which is controlled by numerous cartels. Upon entering the U.S., Isaac, like most single young male asylum seekers, was thrown in immigrant jail. To get some fresh air and exercise while he was there and to relieve himself of intense boredom, Isaac cleaned the facilities for $1/day. Over time, Isaac made friends with other detained migrants who also cleaned in other parts of the facilities, calling to each other from the patios. One day one of them threw a rock to Isaac with a message wrapped around it simply stating: “Dora [and her phone number]. Call her, she will help you.” So Isaac did. After piles of paperwork and financial and security background checks, Dora was able to sponsor Isaac out of immigrant jail. She now refers to him as her adopted son.
Isaac’s mother, brother, and sister were still in Tijuana when I met Isaac. His young sister had been befriended by a much older man, who gave her drugs and jobs. When we learned of those details, markers of human trafficking, Dora immediately contacted friends who run a shelter at the border in Nogales, Sonora. With the financial support of Dora’s organization, Salvavision, they were able to get Isaac’s family into a safe house, off the dangerous streets of Tijuana. Just a few weeks later at the shelter, Isaac’s family has an appointment with the new CBP One app to present themselves at the border on March 3rd!!
As we arrived in Yuma, Border Patrol was loading the last of a group of migrants onto a bus. We were met by Fernando and Nathalie, who both work for AZ-CA Humanitarian Coalition serving and advocating for migrants at the border near Yuma. Until very recently, the border crossing in Yuma had no shade, no toilet facilities, no drinking water, and no garbage dumpsters. Border Patrol systematically confiscates all bags and other belongings from migrants, and simply threw them in piles. Whenever a Republican politician was scheduled for a photo op or press conference in Yuma, they would suspend garbage pickup at the border, deliberately letting the things that Border Patrol had seized from migrants pile up in trashy heaps, only to blame the migrants for the mess.
Thanks to the tireless work of Fern and Nathalie, there are now two large trash dumpsters at the crossing. Border Patrol continues to confiscate and toss migrants’ meager belongings, but at least now they are contained in a more sanitary manner. AZ-CA’s advocacy has also compelled Border Patrol to provide a shade shelter where migrants wait—sometimes for hours—for BP buses to take them away. The dumpsters and shade are joined by portable toilets, and even drinking water. Such basics of human dignity, finally provided due to the advocacy of fearless young people.
Together with Dora’s friends, we witnessed many gaps in the border wall here as well. Huge sections of wall had to be removed at great cost to taxpayers because they were built illegally on sovereign Native American lands. The Colorado River, which forms the border between Arizona and California, flows through Yuma. We saw the canal where Mexico’s share of the water is diverted from the Colorado River. And we all enjoyed a lively lunch together, learning more about the work each of us does serving migrants.
In addition to the two days I spent with Dora, she also recommended my visit to the Migrant Quilt Project, which memorializes the thousands of migrants who have died in the Arizona desert. I recently posted a slideshow of the exhibit on this blog. Dora further recommended Tom Kiefer’s photo exhibit El Sueño Americano (The American Dream), which is showing in Ajo, AZ. Kiefer documents migrants’ personal belongings that were seized and discarded by CBP. I didn’t get to the exhibit, but you can view it here: https://www.tomkiefer.com/el-sueno-americano. I highly recommend it. I also added several books to my reading list thanks to Dora’s and others’ recommendations. Dora is a wealth of stories and wisdom, and a gift to the border community. You can support Dora’s work here: https://salvavision.org.
While in Tucson I had hoped to spend a day with Alvaro Enciso, planting crosses in the desert at the sites of migrant deaths as part of his Donde Mueren los Sueños (Where Dreams Die) project. Alvaro’s team members spent two days scouting the chosen locations for a way in, but the sites were so remote and wild as to be inaccessible, so the trip was cancelled. You may read about my previous trip with Alvaro here: https://wordpress.com/post/stand4welcome.wordpress.com/5070
Border Patrol loading migrants onto a bus.More gaps in this ridiculous wall.The US-Mexico border cuts through several areas of Native American land.The canal that diverts Mexico’s share of the Colorado River.Dumpsters, shade, toilets, and drinking water! Thank you, Fernando and Nathalie!Isaac’s brother, mother, and sister .
“Tell Gail we need to get back in the car and on the road. There’s a group of 18 immigrants at the wall now.”
I was recently traveling with Dora Rodriguez of Salvavision, taking the slow way to Sásabe, Sonora so we could pick up donated supplies when she got the call. I let Tucson Samaritan and Dora’s co-worker Gail Kocourek know that our stop in Arivaca was over. It was time to get on the move.
When we arrived at the border, it became clear that there were two separate groups of immigrants that had recently crossed and were now awaiting Border Patrol. Along 21 miles of new wall (replacing previously-existing wall) there are 23 large gaps or openings. Smugglers/coyotes/guides bring groups of immigrants to those openings to easily walk across the border into the U.S. There the immigrants surrender themselves to Border Patrol.
We encountered one group of 18 immigrants and one group of 13, both groups consisting of families, single adults, and unaccompanied minors. Other volunteers were on the scene before we arrived, and had distributed water and snacks. Everything the migrants carry will be confiscated by Border Patrol (BP), so volunteers only distribute things that will be consumed immediately. Before BP agents arrive, volunteers have a small window in which they can talk with the immigrants and give valuable advice. Border crossers of all varieties typically have no idea what will happen next or what immigration procedures consist of. And Border Patrol generally does not tell them anything about what’s going on, either.
Volunteers greet the migrants kindly, sharing snacks and drinks. We explain in Spanish that everything the migrants are carrying will be taken away, so they must secure all their important documents on their person—not in a backpack or other bag that will be destroyed. We let unaccompanied children know that they will be sent to a place specifically for them, where they will be processed and their relatives will be contacted. We explain that this could take a few days to several months. We let single adults know that they will be expelled immediately, and that they can receive basic services at Casa de la Esperanza in Sásabe. We tell families that they will also be expelled. Volunteers request to Border Patrol agents that they please expel the families to Nogales rather than Sásabe. Sásabe is a tiny town with no services, other than those offered by Casa de la Esperanza: shower, clean clothes, phone calls, basic first aid services, and a hot meal. They do not have overnight accommodations.
We tell families that when they arrive in Nogales, they should ask for Kino. Kino Border Initiative is a non-profit that offers the same services as Casa de la Esperanza but on a larger scale, plus an overnight shelter for women and children. Kino volunteers also help migrants navigate the new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One app. Asylum seekers are no longer allowed to present themselves at the border to request asylum; they are now required to download the CBP One app in Mexico and apply for an appointment at one of the larger ports of entry to make their request. Volunteers are essential in navigating the online system. Reports are that the app does not recognize dark-skinned faces, so Haitians and Africans are getting numerous error messages and no appointments. We tell immigrants to ask for Kino, where they will receive help.
Once a Border Patrol agent arrives on scene the volunteers have to leave. Though long-time volunteers have built respectful working relationships with long-time agents, agents transfer frequently. I had the experience of encountering a new agent who is riding a massive power trip. When she arrived on scene she barked out something like “I am a border agent. Immigrants line up here. Everyone else, LEAVE NOW!” So much for the friendly welcome and well-wishes of the volunteers. When we volunteers dawdled talking amongst ourselves, the agent barked at us again: “I said LEAVE NOW!” Dora shared with me that this particular agent had recently threatened to have her arrested. Little does this new agent know the national and international connections that Dora enjoys.
After our stop at the wall, we continued on to Sásabe and Casa de la Esperanza in Mexico. Dora put me to work sorting donated clothing, something I have lots of experience with at Mobile Clothes. We packed and labeled storage bins with new socks and underwear, filled boxes with donations for the community in Sásabe, and discarded the torn and inappropriate items.
Soon a group of Americans arrived at Casa Esperanza, including a pastor from the UCC church in Saguarita and members of his congregation. They are faithful supporters of the Casa, and he wanted congregants to witness what they support. Casa staff fed us all a delicious hot lunch. No sooner had we sat down to eat than five recently expelled migrant men entered the Casa. The pastor and one of the migrants looked at each other and laughed in recognition. The church group had just come from the U.S. side of the border wall, where they had interacted with this migrant and told him about the Casa. As Julio enjoyed a hot lunch with us, the church members told him that though he had looked sad and forlorn when they had recently seen him on the other side, he now looked happy and relaxed. If contacted, the man’s smuggler would have simply brought him to another gap in the wall near Sásabe and told him to cross there, causing his recent experience to be repeated. Because there are no services in Sásabe, and immigrants must now use the CBP One app to make an appointment at larger ports of entry, enterprising residents of Sásabe offer to drive expelled migrants to Nogales for a fee, earning money themselves while helping the migrants on their next step.
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might remember my posts about Dora and Casa de la Esperanza from April 2021: https://wordpress.com/post/stand4welcome.wordpress.com/5150 or December 2021: https://wordpress.com/post/stand4welcome.wordpress.com/6022. So what’s changed at Casa de la Esperanza since my last visit? Ofelia is a Casa de la Esperanza success story. Ofelia and Vicki, a volunteer from Sásabe, were granted a scholarship by the Executive Director of Southeast Arizona Health Education Center (SEAHEC) in Nogales, Arizona to study nursing. Now a graduate, Ofelia is employed as a nurse at Casa de la Esperanza. The collaboration between Salvavision and SEAHEC made possible this amazing life-changing opportunity for Ofelia and Vicki.
There have been improvements to the grounds of Casa as well. A member of Vets for Peace raised donations and built a playground structure in the backyard. There’s a new shade cover over the picnic tables, paid for with donations from registrations for the online Migrant Trail Border Encuentro. Having participated in the Encuentro myself, I was pleased to see where some of my donations went. Dora is looking forward to a new playground and a library for the community of Sásabe that will be built across the street from Casa Esperanza.
I’m grateful to Dora for everything she does, and for welcoming me along on her rounds. I always learn more than I can possibly convey on this blog, including stories of corruption in Sásabe and the antics of Screwy Louie and QAnon vigilantes. You may contribute to Dora’s work here: https://salvavision.org.
Approaching a group of immigrants surrendering to Border Patrol agents.
In 21 miles of new wall, there are 23 of these large gaps.One of the 23 openings in the 21 miles of new wall near Sásabe.On the left you see the new wall, which simply replaced existing wall, as seen in the center extending to the right.The new playground structure at Casa de la Esperanza, provided and built by a Veteran for Peace.The new shade cover outside Casa de la Esperanza.
The Migrant Quilt Project memorializes the migrants who have died in the southern Arizona desert since 2000, when the medical examiner’s office began recording the names. Fabrics used in the quilts were collected from migrant layup sites and trails in the desert. Each quilt lists the names of the deceased from a specific fiscal year; desconocido (unknown) is used for those migrants whose remains have not been identified. Please click through the slides to view this powerful art exhibit.
When I teach groups about the basics of US immigration policy, I always encourage participants to get their information from trusted sources. To assist in your quest for knowledge, here is a list of websites and socials that offer a plethora of information you can trust. Many of the organizations listed may be helpful in more than one category.
Policy/Law:
American Immigration Council
Center for Migration Studies
CLINIC
Migration Policy Institute
National Immigration Law Center
UNHCR
USCIS
Refugee Resettlement:
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
Catholic Charities/US Conference of Catholic Bishops
As promised, here are my most recent book recommendations to help you learn about the southern U.S. border and immigration elsewhere. Each one is compelling and eye-opening. Happy reading!
Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American, by Wajahat Ali
This is a hilarious, insightful book written by a second-generation Muslim Pakistani-American about his experiences in the U.S. You’ll laugh; you’ll cringe; you’ll question your assumptions.
The Naked Don’t Fear the Water: An Underground Journey with Afghan Refugees, by Matthieu Aikins
Aikins is a western journalist who traveled undercover as a refugee with his Afghan friend, fleeing Afghanistan for Europe. Learn with the author what it’s like to make this perilous journey.
The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border, by Francisco Cantú
Cantú joined the Border Patrol as an enthusiastic young man hoping to learn firsthand about international relations and border policy, which he studied in college. This is the story of his experiences, what he learned, and what he did about it.
Border Hacker: A Tale of Treachery, Trafficking, and Two Friends on the Run, by Levi Vonk with Axel Kirschner
This book follows the unlikely friendship between a white journalist and an Afro-Latino migrant traveling together through Mexico. Suspenseful and humanizing.
Stay tuned for more book recommendations for younger readers. And let me know in the comments what you thought of these books!
One of my roles in the Accompaniment & Sanctuary Coalition is education. I teach church and other groups about immigration, what’s going on at the border, and how they can help. Ideally, participants will act on what they learn.
This past summer I had the honor to teach a church group in West Virginia via Zoom. This group was any teacher’s dream as they were eager to put their new knowledge into action. One of the outcomes of that connection was this video, a six-and-a-half minute labor of love to support the work of my friends Dora and Pancho at the U.S./Mexico border.
My friends Dora and Pancho are beautiful people who are helping migrants forced to wait in Mexico in towns that have very little in the way of resources. I hope that what you see in this video is people taking care of other people, loving their neighbors. If you are moved by this video, or if you want to do some end-of-year giving, please consider supporting the work of Dora and/or Pancho.
Today’s post will be my last specifically for Hispanic Heritage month, highlighting a trove of illustrated children’s books about immigrants from Latin America. As always, please drop your own favorites in the comments!
A Journey toward Hope, by Victor Hinojosa & Coert Voorhees, illustrated by Susan Guevara
Four children from three countries in Central America make the dangerous journey to the United States. The book has bright illustrations and includes jacket notes, a note from Baylor University, How to get involved, the Global Hunger and Migration Project, acknowledgements, and an illustrator’s note that all provide a good deal of additional information about immigration.
Adriana’s Angels, by Ruth Goring, illustrated by Erika Meza
Adriana’s angels accompany her from a happy life in Colombia, along a dangerous journey north, and into her new life in Chicago. The book has gorgeous illustrations, and includes an author’s note. Available in both English and Spanish.
La Frontera: El viaje con papá ~ My Journey with Papa, by Deborah Mills & Alfredo Alva, illustrated by Claudia Navarro
This bilingual book portrays the story of a boy and his father’s journey from central Mexico to Texas. With beautiful illustrations, the book contains additional information about Alfred’s story, Borders & Culture, and Immigration.
A Day’s Work, by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ronald Himler
The soft watercolor illustrations perfectly complement this story of an immigrant boy and his grandfather looking for a day’s work. The boy and his grandfather both have things to teach the other.
Amelia’s Road, by Linda Jacobs Altman, illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez
Amelia’s family are migrant farm workers, but Amelia’s dearest dream is to have a home of her own, a place to belong. The book contains an author’s note.
When Christmas Feels like Home, by Gretchen Griffith, illustrated by Carolina Farias
A magical story of a boy who moves with his family to a new place where people speak a different language and children play football instead of fútbol. Spanish words and phrases are sprinkled throughout in repetition of their English equivalents.
Dreamers, written & illustrated by Yuyi Morales
This extravagantly beautiful book tells the story of a woman and child who migrate to the U.S. and discover the joy of public libraries. The book includes My Story (from the author), Books that Inspired Me (and still do), and How I Made this Book. Available in both English and Spanish.
Going Home, by Eve Bunting, illustrated by David Diaz
This gorgeously illustrated book tells the story of a family traveling back to Mexico to celebrate Christmas. The story is intimate and sweet.
Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border, by Mitali Perkins, illustrated by Sara Palacios
This warm, sweet, and yet badass book tells the story of a family who visit their grandma at Border Fields State Park. I defy you to read it without a tear in your eye. The author’s note contains additional information about Las Posadas and La Posada Sin Fronteras.
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