The Weight of Shadows

January 15, 2016
A writer and immigrant rights activist's account of his long path to citizenship and critique of United States immigration policies, especially regarding undocumented workers. In July 2011, just a few months after his 26th birthday, Orduna, a Mexican national who lived most of his life in the U.S., became a naturalized American citizen. Though he felt no different than he had before, he knew that citizenship would allow him "to join [a] club" that previously had been closed to him. Yet due to what he had seen his hardworking Mexican immigrant parents undergo as "removable aliens" with expired visas and what he knew of the history and lives of other undocumented Mexican immigrants, he could not accept his new status uncritically. Orduna examines his personal experiences as an immigrant in the context of the racist, contradictory, and sometimes-punitive American immigration system. Fully aware that the American dream has been built on the exploitation of workers like his parents, he excoriates media portrayals of illegal immigrants as invaders that threaten the "health of many Americans." Such pathologizing narratives have given rise to distrust--heightened by post-9/11 paranoia--of dark-skinned "others" like the author. Xenophobia is embedded in everything from interactions with immigration officials to the many other procedures immigrants must contend with. Orduna bitterly observes the process leading up to his actual naturalization: his "whereabouts, purchases and behaviors [had to be made] known" and cataloged just as his "associates [had to be] scrutinized and his "intentions justified." Though the author was ultimately successful in his pursuit of citizenship, dealing with the immigration system--and by extension, the U.S. government--was like being "trapped in an abusive relationship with a sociopath." Articulate and timely, Orduna's book probes the underside of the American dream while offering a fierce vision of the way race and class continue to shape government policy in a country that still bills itself as the land of opportunity for all. Sharp-eyed and unsparing.

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February 1, 2016

In the book's opening chapter, first-time author Orduna quotes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own." The caveat to that statement is that those same people may not have the right to arrive in another country. Here Orduna vividly describes the precarious situation of undocumented Mexican immigrants, who live under the constant and real threat of deportation. He writes about the fear of answering the door and the migra (slang term for border patrol) being on the other side. Traversing past and present and blending Mexican history and U.S. immigration policy changes and how these larger issues had personal consequences for his family and friends, Orduna chronicles his journey from undocumented immigrant to U.S. citizen to immigrant advocate. He illustrates how revisions at the national level impact those most vulnerable and depicts the challenges for those who cross the border for the sole purpose of improving their livelihood. VERDICT Orduna's illuminating story offers a personal look at the experiences of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Memoir readers and those interested in immigration history will find it rewarding.--Susan E. Montgomery, Rollins Coll., Winter Park, FL

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2016
Lady Liberty symbolizes America as a land of migrants, welcoming those seeking to make a better life for themselves and their families. However, these lofty ideals often fall short of the realities hopeful migrants experience when trying to make America their home. This book is one such tale of a family, from Veracruz, Mexico, told from the perspective of a child who was brought to the U.S. by immigrant parents. Orduna grew up with the omnipresent question about legalization influencing virtually every decision that he and his family make. It illustrates also how real the divide is between those who have legal status and those who don't. Orduna was naturalized as an American citizen in 2011, a decision that weighs heavily on him. Does a piece of paper prove he belongs ? The highly descriptive narrative brings his lived experience as close to readers as words printed on a page can. This memoir is recommended for readers who understand migrationespecially to the U.S.or are hoping to know more about it and are looking for narratives that exemplify the experience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)