by Helen Thorpe. In 2004, Denver journalist Thorpe met four Mexican girls-two legal, two undocumented-and began a five-year journey of chronicling their lives and the lives of their families against the backdrop of growing tensions on immigration issues. She follows the girls-Marisela, Clara, Yadira, and Elissa-from their high-school proms through college graduation, documenting the huge differences between the challenges and uncertainties faced by those with documents and those without. Thorpe also chronicles the family dynamics and economic struggles as the girls tentatively move into the middle class, the tensions of assimilation as the girls become increasingly American, and the emotional challenges to maintaining cultural ties to their families and communities. She follows the story into Mexico when Marisela's mother is deported. But Thorpe also follows the opposition, including former U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado), who made a name for himself by vociferously opposing illegal immigrants. All the while, Thorpe had the added complication of being married to the mayor of Denver, whose business and political stances added to the heated debate. Thorpe does a masterful job of exploring issues of class, race, and culture in the American amalgam through the lives of four young Mexican women. --Booklist (Check Catalog)
Monday, October 5, 2009
Just like us : the true story of four Mexican girls coming of age in America
by Helen Thorpe. In 2004, Denver journalist Thorpe met four Mexican girls-two legal, two undocumented-and began a five-year journey of chronicling their lives and the lives of their families against the backdrop of growing tensions on immigration issues. She follows the girls-Marisela, Clara, Yadira, and Elissa-from their high-school proms through college graduation, documenting the huge differences between the challenges and uncertainties faced by those with documents and those without. Thorpe also chronicles the family dynamics and economic struggles as the girls tentatively move into the middle class, the tensions of assimilation as the girls become increasingly American, and the emotional challenges to maintaining cultural ties to their families and communities. She follows the story into Mexico when Marisela's mother is deported. But Thorpe also follows the opposition, including former U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado), who made a name for himself by vociferously opposing illegal immigrants. All the while, Thorpe had the added complication of being married to the mayor of Denver, whose business and political stances added to the heated debate. Thorpe does a masterful job of exploring issues of class, race, and culture in the American amalgam through the lives of four young Mexican women. --Booklist (Check Catalog)
