Presente!: Latin@ Immigrant Voices in the Struggle for Racial Justice / Voces Inmigranted Latin@s en la Lucha por la Justicia Racial

by Cristina Tzintzún (Editor), Omar Angel (Editor), Carlos Pérez de Alejo (Editor)

Read the media coverage of the increasingly heated debate around immigration reform in the United two dominant narratives emerge. From Lou Dobbs to Sean Hannity, commentators on the right have crafted an image rooted in fear, demonizing undocumented immigrants as a threat to national security and raising the specter of a deliberate "browning of America." Left-leaning journalists, on the other hand, foreground victimization, emphasizing the plight of immigrants, stripping them of their agency. Neither captures the range of experiences within undocumented immigrant communities, and both fail to see immigrants as active participants in their own struggle for racial and economic justice. Presente! offers a rare perspective on the immigrant-rights movement, written by immigrant workers themselves. Including a range of essays exploring the intersection of race, class, and immigration in the United States, this anthology challenges its readers to move beyond a "legalization-only" framework and embrace a broader vision for social justice organizing embodied in the work of grassroots organizations across the country resisting state repression, cultivating solidarity, and building alternative models for progressive social change. Offered in a dual-language edition, with a foreword by Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzáles. Cristina Tzintzún is the executive director of Workers Defense Project, a Texas based workers' rights organization. Carlos Pérez de Alejo is the executive director of Cooperation Texas, an organization dedicated to the creation of sustainable jobs through the development, support, and promotion of worker-owned cooperatives. Arnulfo Manríquez is an organizer at Workers Defense Project, where he organizes immigrant construction workers to defend their labor and human rights. In Oakland, California on March 24, 2015 a fire destroyed the AK Press warehouse along with several other businesses. Please consider visiting the AK Press website to learn more about the fundraiser to help them and their neighbors.

Genres: Nonfiction

270 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 2014

Reviews

[Michelle | musingsbymichelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book of personal accounts from people on the frontlines of immigration justice and reform. I highly recommend it!!!

[Rachel Lovins · Rating 5 out of 5]

bilingual, short essays about actual community organizers. This book was super useful.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great anthology of reflections on the fight for immigration justice and worker's rights, from people on the frontlines speaking from their lived experiences: DREAMers, day laborers, factory workers, agricultural workers, cleaning services workers, and more. How often do we hear directly from the undocumented workers who went on strike at the Levi's factory in San Antonio, for example? Even though I am familiar with this topic, I learned A LOT, especially about how NAFTA forced many people to migrate to the US although they would rather not. I also was not aware of the awful, almost slavery conditions that agricultural workers in Florida faced prior to their successful Taco Bell boycott.

Presented in English and Spanish in the same copy. Good opportunity to practice Spanish reading comprehension if that's what you're looking for!

[Rosa Ponce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good reminder of the work that has happened by directly affected people in the fight to “legalize” immigrants

[V · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was well written goodreads first reads selection and the fact that it is bilingual makes it a great addition to our library

[Rozemarijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read about half. Interesting stories and insights.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feels a little dated, because the political context has changed so much. But this is one of my favorite kinds of books, testimony from regular people taking risks and making things change. A needed infusion of optimism.