Living "Illegal": The Human Face of Unauthorized Immigration

by Marie Friedmann Marquardt, Timothy J Steigenga, Philip J. Williams, Manuel A. Vasquez

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781595588814
Publisher:	New Press, The
Publication date:	04/09/2013
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Marie Friedmann Marquardt teaches religious studies and sociology at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. Timothy J. Steigenga is a professor of political science at Florida Atlantic Universityin Jupiter, Florida. Philip J. Williams is the director of the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Florida. Manuel A. Vásquez is an associate professor of religion at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.

Table of Contents

Foreword Reverend Dennis H. Holtschneider vii

Introduction 1

1 Why Migrate? Making Sense of Unauthorized Migration 15

2 People in Motion: Life Crossing and Across Borders 57

3 Living Together, Living Apart: Interethnic Relations in New Immigrant Destinations 105

4 "Picking Up the Cross": Churches on the Front Lines 155

5 Migrants Mobilize: Finding a Voice in Local and National Debates 204

Conclusion 259

Epilogue 285

Acknowledgments 297

Appendix: Time Line of Important Immigration Policy 299

Notes 307

Index 329

Editorial Reviews

"[C]ompassionate and well-reasoned . . . this book appeals to what Lincoln called 'the better angels of our nature.'"
—Publishers Weekly

"[T]imely . . . a thoughtful volume that contains serious and humane suggestions for reform."
—Choice

"A uniquely nuanced and human view of the unauthorized immigrants at the heart of the immigration debate."
—Donald Kerwin, executive director, Center for Migration Studies

"Provides persuasive and compelling answers to all the tough questions we need to address."
—Judith Adler Hellman, author of The World of Mexican Migrants

"Immigration reform has a human face. . . . This study clearly brings this to the fore and should be on the reading list of all those who . . . are interested in the immigration issue."
—Roman Popadiuk, executive director, George Bush Presidential Library Foundation

From the Publisher

"[C]ompassionate and well-reasoned . . . this book appeals to what Lincoln called 'the better angels of our nature.'"
—Publishers Weekly

"[T]imely . . . a thoughtful volume that contains serious and humane suggestions for reform."
—Choice

"A uniquely nuanced and human view of the unauthorized immigrants at the heart of the immigration debate."
—Donald Kerwin, executive director, Center for Migration Studies

"Provides persuasive and compelling answers to all the tough questions we need to address."
—Judith Adler Hellman, author of The World of Mexican Migrants

"Immigration reform has a human face. . . . This study clearly brings this to the fore and should be on the reading list of all those who . . . are interested in the immigration issue."
—Roman Popadiuk, executive director, George Bush Presidential Library Foundation