Una vez fui tú/ Once I Was You

by María Hinojosa

María Hinojosa es una periodista galardonada que ha colaborado con las cadenas más respetadas y se ha distinguido por realizar reportajes con un toque humano. En estas memorias escritas con gran belleza, nos relata la historia de la política de inmigración de los EE.UU. que nos ha llevado al punto en que estamos hoy, al mismo tiempo que nos comparte su historia profundamente personal. Durante treinta años, María Hinojosa ha informado sobre historias y comunidades en los Estados Unidos que a menudo son ignoradas por los principales medios de comunicación. La autora de bestsellers Julia Álvarez la ha llamado “una de las líderes culturales más importantes, respetadas y queridas de la comunidad Latinx”. En Una vez fui tú, María nos comparte su experiencia personal de haber crecido como mexicanoamericana en el sur de Chicago y documentar el páramo existencial de los campos de detención de inmigrantes para los medios de comunicación que a menudo cuestionaban su trabajo. En estas páginas, María ofrece un relato personal y revelador de cómo la retórica en torno a la inmigración no solo ha influido en las actitudes de los estadounidenses hacia los extranjeros, sino que también ha permitido la negligencia intencional y el lucro a expensas de las poblaciones más vulnerables de nuestro país, lo que ha propiciado el sistema resquebrajado que tenemos hoy en día. Estas memorias honestas y estremecedoras crean un vívido retrato de cómo llegamos aquí y lo que significa ser una superviviente, una feminista, una ciudadana y una periodista que hace valer su propia voz mientras lucha por la verdad. Una vez fui tú es un llamado urgente a los compatriotas estadounidenses para que abran los ojos a la crisis de la inmigración y entiendan que nos afecta a todos. También disponible en inglés como Once I Was You.

Audio CD

Published November 2, 2021

About the author

Maria Hinojosa dreamt of a space where she could create independent, multimedia journalism that explores and gives a critical voice to the diverse American experience. She made that dream a reality in 2010 when she created Futuro Media, an independent, nonprofit newsroom based in Harlem, NYC with the mission to create multimedia content from a POC perspective. As Anchor and Executive Producer of the Peabody Award-winning show Latino USA, distributed by NPR, and Co-Host of Futuro Media’s award-winning political podcast In The Thick, Hinojosa has informed millions about the changing cultural and political landscape in America and abroad.

Reviews

[Carlos Orozco · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is centered around left-leaning ideals. While I understood that going into it, my idea was to hear the other side of the spectrum to understand where their perspectives is derived from. While I do understand the suffrage of many illegal immigrants, I do not think the picture is painted objectively.

As a DACA recipient myself, I have always been of the idea that if we are in someone else’s country, we must behave. The book has parts where it tries to justify the presence of immigrants who have been convicted of crimes like DUIs in the past, and insists that taking them out is not correct. Whether we like it or not, there are laws and processes to follow and we cannot expect to have special treatment; our countries back home do not offer that to immigrants. We must never forget that no one ever owes us anything. I think that is lost in many parts of the book where it is implied that immigrants are owed our stay in this country.

Lastly, I particularly did not enjoy the bash on President Obama regarding his actions on immigration. The book paints a picture where he had the absolute power to implement an immigration reform while in office, completely disregarding the structure that a bill has to pass by before becoming a law. While Americans, or those of us who have had the opportunity to attend school here, know the process, an audience who may not will resent President Obama for a perceived inaction, even if it is not solely up to him to approve or veto laws.

The book was an interesting read, nonetheless, but its lack of objectiveness made me rate it lower.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m impressed with Maria Hinojosa’s story. Her life is an inspiration to many who give up when life presents them with what seems unbearable challenges. What adds to her book are the historical facts she includes in her story and her very personal struggles while working on achieving her goals.