American Dirt | Imamother

giselle

Tue, May 19 2020, 2:21 pm

Has anyone here read the book, and has it changed your view on illegal immigrants?

(Mods, if this needs to be moved to politics, then please feel free to move.. wasn’t sure which forum would be most appropriate.)

amother

Jetblack

Tue, May 19 2020, 2:24 pm

Yes, I read it.
I had mixed feelings before and that hasn't changed.

watergirl

Tue, May 19 2020, 2:24 pm

I’m reading it now actually. With a very open mind.

Lets keep this clear of politics.

giselle

Tue, May 19 2020, 2:29 pm

watergirl wrote:

I’m reading it now actually. With a very open mind.

Lets keep this clear of politics.

Sounds good to me. I generally try to steer clear of that forum which is one of the reasons I didn’t want to post there.

I have to be honest, maybe I’m selfish but I rarely gave much thought to this issue. And I most certainly don’t have a solution. I think one thing I came away with is that so many of the Hispanics that live in the area must each have their own harrowing stories. Cleaning ladies, grocery workers.. who knows what each have gone through to get here?

iyar

Tue, May 19 2020, 3:30 pm

giselle wrote:

So true, Giselle. It's easy to be upset with illegal immigrants as a hypothetical group of people in an opinion column. When you're face to face with the individual human being all of a sudden you see a person just like you with eyes, a nose, a beating heart, a life, needs, wants, hopes.

crust

Tue, May 19 2020, 3:51 pm

Ordered it. I'll be able to comment 4 hours after delivery.

😂

Last edited by crust on Tue, May 19 2020, 4:31 pm; edited 1 time in total

giselle

Tue, May 19 2020, 3:58 pm

crust wrote:

Order it. I'll be able to comment 4 hours after delivery.

😂

You ordered it?

amother

Taupe

Tue, May 19 2020, 4:28 pm

Sounds interesting.

From what I hear from my cleaning ladies my heart breaks for them. I always try to be extra kind and pay them a little extra and make them a hot breakfast and snacks, coffee, etc because they have HARROWING stories... and I remember what my grandparents used to say their immigration days were like after the war.

I don't know if I have the courage to read this book. It sounds heartbreaking.

crust

Tue, May 19 2020, 4:31 pm

giselle wrote:

You ordered it?

Yes. My autocorrect to the 'ed' off. I'll correct it

giselle

Tue, May 19 2020, 4:54 pm

amother [ Taupe ] wrote:

It is very heartbreaking. My husband found it too sad.

giselle

Tue, May 19 2020, 4:55 pm

crust wrote:

Yes. My autocorrect to the 'ed' off. I'll correct it

Great can’t wait to discuss! Smile

crust

Sun, May 31 2020, 3:34 am

Ok. It's not exactly 4 hours after I got the book because Y"T happened shortly after it was delivered but here are my thoughts.

First of all, kudos to Jeanine Cummins. This book is a bestseller for a reason. I love her writing style.

I don't remember myself reading a book that had me reading nonstop yet at the same time was so scary and devastating that I had to frequently put it down to recollect myslef.

I thought that the book is called American Dirt to explain how unfair and mistreated immigrants in the USA feel.
How they can come from Middle Class families in Mexico and find themselves as lowest class people when they finally get here.

I thought it would be about how they are used for cheap labor here and they literally feel like "American Dirt".

What a misconception! Who would believe that an entire book can be written about a journey from Acapulco to Tucson?

I literally looked over my back many times while reading because the story terrified me. Yes, terrified is the word.

The horror and torture that these people go through is hair raising but I totally believe them.

I felt so connected to Lydia, Luca and the girls. That's how our ancestors in all generations felt. They were migrants. Always running. Always fleeing. Never any rest.

Oh, my heart went out to them!

It hasn't changed my thoughts about illegal immigrants at all.

Lydia and the girls were running from a real threat to their lives and any normal country should grant asylum to people like this.

How to distinguish between the people that really have to run and people like Lorenzo? I don't know. Anyone can make up a story and cry that they need asylum but it would be terrible to make a mistake with even one single person.

Sending back someone that is in danger or accepting someone that is a threat - both are scary and I wouldn't want to be the one to make that decision.

I believe a sophisticated screening system is possible. It would be a better, cheaper and more humane solution than a wall.

Having said that- one of my cleaning ladies once told me that a few of her family members came to Estados Unidos via water (I couldn't understand which one) and she didn't hear from them since they left which means they probably drowned.

She was sitting in my house and crying. This was before the Smartphone era and she used my phone to try to reach their contact person to no avail. This was going on for days. She ended up coming to my house just to use the phone.

It was horrifying but I wondered, was the life that they had in Mexico City so bad that death by drowning was really the better choice?

If that priest that warned Lydia and the group that only one out of three migrants makes it to USA alive was right, then there needs to be more focus on educating the innocent people (that are not fleeing for their life) that this journey and it's aftermath is far from a bed of roses.

Is anything done on that end?

I hope that everyone that ventures out on this journey has a good enough reason.

amother

Cobalt

Sun, May 31 2020, 4:04 am

I didnt read the book but watched a documentary I think by Stacey Dooley. Life is really bad for many of them so much so that they are ready to pay tons of money and risk their lives to escape illegally to America.

crust

Sun, May 31 2020, 4:06 am

amother [ Cobalt ] wrote:

The book's focus was more on people whose lives were in serious danger.