Tag: immigrant stories

    The Book of Rosy: a mother’s story of separation at the border by Rosayra Pablo Cruz and Julie Schwietert Collazo

      The Book of Rosy is the story of Rosayra Pablo Cruz, a mother of four from Guatemala who fled to the U.S. seeking asylum, co-written by Julie Schwietert Collazo, the cofounder of Immigrant Families Together. Rosy’s story and her fight for a dignified existence brings to life an immigration policy that was ignored for too long and continues to keep innocent refugee children separated from their parents. Adding to the heartbreak of the trauma inflicted on Rosy and her children is the fact that her story is not extraordinary at all. Like many of the U.S.’s immigration policies, Trump’s Zero Tolerance Policy was designed to dehumanize those seeking refuge at the border. The goal of these policies was not to keep anyone safe, but rather for certain people to either make massive amounts of money off of the lucrative detention center industry or to benefit politically from the suffering of others.

      Full review at Latino Book Review

      Beautifully written by these two women whose lives became unexpectedly intertwined, The Book of Rosy is an important read for those wanting to better understand the realities of immigration from the Global South.

      My heart breaks when I think about all the losses that have occurred along the Migrant Highway, each one a story that will be remembered only by the person who suffered it.

      — Rosayra Pablo Cruz

                    At its core, Rosy’s story is about faith, sacrifice, and what it means to show up for other people when it counts.

      “Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak… For we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us…A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies.”

      — Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., 1967

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      by Categories: Non-fiction, UncategorizedTags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

      Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America by Maria Hinojosa

      Originally published at Latinobookreview.com

      Maria Hinojosa’s memoir tells the vulnerable story of becoming her truest, unapologetic self, deftly woven with decades of American history. From U.S.-funded conflicts throughout Central America, to 9/11, to Hurricane Katrina, to the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, Hinojosa has been on the front lines bringing both humanity and high-quality journalism to these devastating events. Always acutely aware of the human impact of these tragedies, Hinojosa identifies patterns in the political landscape while also humbly depicting the emotional toll of her reporting on her own mental health and family.

      Beginning with her family’s move from Mexico to the U.S. when she was a baby, and her childhood growing up in South Side Chicago, Hinojosa formed personal relationships with some of the marginalized populations that she would one day report on. Immigrants, refugees, and grassroots political activists were some of the most impactful members of her community while she was a student at Barnard College. After first taking up the microphone to host a Latino segment on college radio, she went on to become a producer and reporter at major media outlets such as NPR and CNN. Hinojosa paved her way in a white male-dominated industry despite struggling with discrimination, profit-driven management in corporate media, and crippling imposter syndrome.

      Her resolve to stay true to her values as a journalist led to some of her greatest work: POC-centered, community-based reporting and the founding of the independent, nonprofit Futuro Media Group. Beyond her career achievements, elements of her story are relatable on so many levels. She is an inspiration to bi-national and multicultural people who never feel “enough” of any specific identity, to women struggling in their industries and in need of strong mentors, and to anyone looking to others for validation. Once I Was You is rich in historical context and insights that will strike a chord with readers across borders and cultures.

      “The people and stories I wanted to do focused on the forgotten, the other, those who are thought of as different. At the same time, I aimed to evoke universal themes so that anyone, no matter who they were, could see themselves in my stories.”

      by Categories: Biography, Non-fictionTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment