Remember that supposed "giant sucking sound" from NAFTA ratification?

books:


	• Enrique's Journey Sonia Nazario Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2007 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 49 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

highly recommended

Compelling , well-written story

This true story of one teenager's journey on the "death trains" from Honduras to the U.S. is a fast read. Seventeen-year-old Enrique's tale is compellingly told by the author, who interweaves her supporting facts in a way that moves the story forward, not weight it down with statistics. The author makes a concerted effort to present a balanced view of this illegal immigration process through the eyes of all affected. Enrique's story is fleshed out by interviews with other boys whom have made this harrowing journey, as well as the conductors, family members, police and la migra (immigration) officials, and even townspeople where the trains- and the immigrants - pass through.

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gripping reading

I'm about halfway through this book, and despite a hectic work schedule I'm looking forward to finishing it up soon. The language and storytelling are straightforward; it's the accumulation of detail that builds into a powerful portrayal of a young man's journey to find his mother (and himself). Given the front page news about immigration recently, the books feels very relevant.

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Remember that supposed "giant sucking sound" from NAFTA ratification?

In the 1992 presidential campaign, Ross Perot opposed the North American Free Trade agreement, saying that American jobs would go south of the border so quickly that there would be a "giant sucking sound," like water sluicing down a drain.

Well, guess what? The "drain" backed up and has been gushing people into the U.S. ever since. In "Enrique's Journey", Sonia Nazario has captured the poverty and desperate circumstances of millions living in Mexico and many Central American countries, leaving a significant fraction of those populations with, essentially, a Hobbesian choice. U.S. policies, including NAFTA, have contributed to the problem, and our lengthy economic boom has provided the impetus.

Beyond the politics is the drama of the epic journey that hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have made, and continue to make, through the length of Mexico and across the border into the States. Nazario has told this story in vivid terms--without the need for embellishment--depicting both the heroism and gritty determination of the ordinary people who make the journey, the brave and often unlikely sources of support they receive along the way, as well as the shameful perfidy of those who rob, kill, rape and con them.

No matter which side of the issue you support--if you are sympathetic to the plight of illegals or if you think they should all be deported--reading this book will be like a slap in the face. It will force you to think carefully about the true nature of the relationship you already have with people like Enrique, his mother, sister, and children.

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Enrique's Journey

The book is well researched. However, the story and the research are interlaced is such a way that it is somewhat distracting to follow the course of events.

A good read, but depressing

This book is defintely a good read. It goes very quickly (I think I finished this book in about 5 hours over two days), and it is very informative. The story is compelling, i wanted to know what would happen to Enrique along the way, and even though you know all along the he will find his mother, I was still curious to see how it would unfold.

The journalistic style includes facts about Honduras and poverty throughout Central America alongside the story of Enrique's journey to find his mother in "El Norte." You also read about his family's trials in tribulations in both the U.S. and Honduras. The journalism was great, you really see how starting with one child and going outward influences so many people.

But, of course, it left me terribly depressed. It was good to learn more about the problems of poverty affecting my neighbors, but as a sensitive person I was heartbroken for weeks, and without a good way to make a difference.

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reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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recommendations

2007 NYPL "Books for the Teen Age" - Latinos
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Books I Read in 2007
Immigration

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