From my brown slanted eyes, which I inherited from my Mixtec indian grandfather, down to my cracked and callused feet (from wearing too many huaraches) I look exactly like what I am, a native of Mexico. But, what is my immigration story? Legal or illegal? Could you tell the difference?
Our stories are diverse, rich, some are sad and many are courageous. Documented or undocumented we leave things and people that we love behind and with us we bring our dreams.
Here a four children's book with immigrant stories worth reading. Enjoy.
Friends from the Other Side/Amigos del Otro Lado. By Gloria Anzaldual and Consuelo Mendez Castillo. This is one of my first books about immigrants I found in the library when I first arrive to the USA. I remember thinking how much Prietita's cardboard and metal house looked like the houses of many people I know in my country.
My Name is Jorge on Both Sides of the River, by Jane Median and Fabricio Vanden Broeck. My favorite piece from this book, which also makes me feel sad when I read, is the poem titled Why am I Dumb?:Why am i dumb?In my country
I was smart. All tens!
Never even an eight!
Now I am here.
They give eC's or D's or F's
--like fives...
or ones.
I feel like I'm turning into Kiko
from my old class.Kiko's dumb in any country.
Well,
I's still smart
in math.
Maybe dumbin reading. But math--
--all tens, I mean
A's.
My Shoes and I, by Rene colato Lainez and Fabricio Vanden Broeck. This is a story about crozing the border of trhee countries and the faith of a boy in his new shoes that will him to be reunited with his family.
La Linea, by Ann Jaramillo. This book weaves the tale of a harrowing journey of two Mexican children trying to reach their parent in California. An impressive eye-opener novel.And you, what is you story?
6 comments:
Like I said on Facebook, I LOVE YOUR SHIRT! Please consider making some for sale!
Thanks for featuring Rene Colato Lainez's book, "My Shoes and I," on this list. I loved his book and featured him on my blog last month: http://www.christinarodriguez.com/blog/2010/3/10/art-crush-wednesday-rene-colato-lainez.html
Okay, here I am...your number one fan. Again, you're rockin the shirt.
I want to find words to explain why people are so hateful to those who differ in complexion or religion or philosophy in general but I don't think I can. It's ignorance at the root of this, of course, and it's manipulated, in this case, by those who need to feed from the misguided to maintain their power.
Keep the faith.
Pat
Here is the paragraph b in amendment 1070 that says it all...
"WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS
UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE,WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON."
Reasonable Suspicion...I guess that is left to the officer's discretion. "He was humming 'Guadalajara'...or some Mexican song. Oh yeah, and he had brown skin. That's probable cause to me."
People who may not be affected by this due to their pigmentation will not like it so much when probable cause is thrown out the window and the policia can accost citizens at their whim. Can you say Nazi Germany?
Hello, Ms. Morales,
I was wondering if you knew of a children's book or young adult novel about a high school student trying to be a normal American teenager but having to hide their parents's illegal immigrant status? After graduation , they can't get a job, drive a car, or get scholarships for college. This is for a grad project I'm working on.
M.G.,
Steve
Dear Steve, great question. Really, thank you! It made me go to my friends and ask it too. Many of those friends are a well of knowledge and information, and so I have created a new blog post where you can find the answers they gave me for books that might be of your interest for your project.
Here it is:
http://yuyimorales.blogspot.com/2010/05/one-book-question-and-my-friends-coming.html
Good luck with school.
I saw some sight board in big city.
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