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El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory
352 pages, Hardcover
Published March 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 31, 2026
An outstanding book on the history and present of the role El Paso and Juarez have played in both US and Mexican history told through the stories of the lives of people with roots there.
March 8, 2026
This was a well-researched account on how the history of El Paso, TX, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico illuminates our nation’s history of anti-Mexican and anti-immigration sentiments. I learned a lot especially about how events like the Mexican Revolution and the drug wars fueled myths about Mexicans, how at the same time the U.S.-funded authoritarian regimes increased the prevalence of Latine immigrants crossing the border for asylum, the history of Chinese-Mexican immigrants, the hypocrisy of bringing Mexican immigrants to do the low-wage labor, and more. I also wasn’t aware of the Walmart shooting in El Paso in 2019, which the author reports on.
While all of the information was well-researched and fact-checked, how it was structured was confusing. The subtitle includes “Five Families,” yet they are more subtly woven into the general chronology of the history. A lot of immigration topics are covered which made it lose focus. I also wasn’t completely following what the author’s purpose was with sections on the more current-day events and including her own story. It was more confusing and I was barely able to make sense of everything. There’s a lot of names in Spanish which can make it hard to keep track of who everyone is. I wish there was a timeline and list of individuals to refer back to.
Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC.
While all of the information was well-researched and fact-checked, how it was structured was confusing. The subtitle includes “Five Families,” yet they are more subtly woven into the general chronology of the history. A lot of immigration topics are covered which made it lose focus. I also wasn’t completely following what the author’s purpose was with sections on the more current-day events and including her own story. It was more confusing and I was barely able to make sense of everything. There’s a lot of names in Spanish which can make it hard to keep track of who everyone is. I wish there was a timeline and list of individuals to refer back to.
Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC.
March 16, 2026
Big congratulations to Jazmine Ulloa for the launch of her beautiful new book, El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory. We had such a lovely evening with a packed room at Interabang Books celebrating this powerful work. The book is fascinating, through stunning storytelling, Jazmine takes us across more than a hundred years of history and reclaims the story of El Paso, las historias de su comunidad, and the voices that make the border between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez so special. Felicidades, Jazmine, and thank you for sharing with us your deep love for El Paso.
As someone from Chihuahua, reading this book me capturó por completo, it transported me to places from my childhood, to the legends and history lessons that shaped how I understand the border. And as someone who, for different twists of life, ended up living in El Paso, I can say this place gave me so much. Esta comunidad me abrazó, even when all I wanted at the time was to get out into the world. But the people and the magic of El Pasito captivated me, and forever I will call it home. Gracias, Jazmine, for writing this beautiful love letter to and for El Paso.
As someone from Chihuahua, reading this book me capturó por completo, it transported me to places from my childhood, to the legends and history lessons that shaped how I understand the border. And as someone who, for different twists of life, ended up living in El Paso, I can say this place gave me so much. Esta comunidad me abrazó, even when all I wanted at the time was to get out into the world. But the people and the magic of El Pasito captivated me, and forever I will call it home. Gracias, Jazmine, for writing this beautiful love letter to and for El Paso.
April 3, 2026
This is a book that made me ashamed that I knew so little of Hispanic history, but grateful for the revelation it afforded me. By focusing on El Paso, it can go deeper into the issues that plague us today.
The third person I told ‘You have GOT to read this book’ replied they had rarely seen me so passionate about something I had read. It’s more than history; it shows how the history impacts us today.
On a side note, I usually prefer to read a book but I truly loved the audiobook. After years of listening to white people mangle Hispanic names and phrases, it’s a joy to hear the beauty of the language spoken by a master.
The third person I told ‘You have GOT to read this book’ replied they had rarely seen me so passionate about something I had read. It’s more than history; it shows how the history impacts us today.
On a side note, I usually prefer to read a book but I truly loved the audiobook. After years of listening to white people mangle Hispanic names and phrases, it’s a joy to hear the beauty of the language spoken by a master.
April 3, 2026
Shame the author couldn't be bothered to attribute any of the earlier works she seems to draw heavily from to produce this work. It reads like a New York Times piece: one isn't sure what is fact or editorial. I'm placing this in my historical fiction tags since it is so unclear what might be true versus conjecture, particularly given the hometown bias and agenda of the author, particularly for the final section of political "analysis."
El Paso sounds like a fascinating place, if we can suspend disbelief. But so does Narnia.
El Paso sounds like a fascinating place, if we can suspend disbelief. But so does Narnia.
January 28, 2026
WOW! This book was a much needed read especially during this present time. This book is pact with information and well researched. The book takes us back to the begging of El Paso and its neighbor cities. It is a known fact that a lot of history is left out in history books and this opened my eyes to lot of which I didn’t know. This book also follows families across time and their descendants, it was gripping. The immigration policies from the early 1900s were repugnant and mirrors much of the policies in the present time. Finding out the practice of “baths” on immigrants using vinegar and kerosene then they ramped up using pesticides on immigrant men, women, and children made me sick to my stomach. This type of practice is very anti American and these “baths” eventually inspired the Nazis baths on their concentration camps. If you want to know more I highly recommend this book and it’s filled with lots of facts unknown to us here in the US schools. This book also shows the fighting spirit of the human heart and my heart goes out to those nameless souls who are transient “immigrant” but who are human above all.
I want to thank NetGalley and Dutton for allowing me to read such an important ARC and to the author Jazmine Ulloa for shining light on this forgotten but important piece of history.
I want to thank NetGalley and Dutton for allowing me to read such an important ARC and to the author Jazmine Ulloa for shining light on this forgotten but important piece of history.
March 7, 2026
I won this book from a Goodreads Giveaway. It’s definitely a tough topic. It is thought provoking. You may agree either way some ideas and disagree with others as there are so many gray areas and different points of view. The difficult part of the story is that it doesn’t read in chronological order. Chapters jumped from one year to another; both forward and backward. I’m glad I read it.
“James K Polk invaded Mexico, part of a two-year war to alter its boarders. Polk called it Manifest Destiny.”
“Mexico was forced to relinquish all of its claims to Texas and cede 55 percent of its territory to the United States-including what is now California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, most of Arizona, Colorado, as well as parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.”
“El Paso, the gateway to the American Southwest”
“Angel Island in San Francisco, where mostly Chinese immigrants”
“All Mexican male laborers detained at the hospital and city jail would now be required to soak in delousing “baths” of vinegar and kerosene.”
“Undesirable Aliens Act of 1929, which for the first time made it illegal to cross the border unauthorized.”
“It was loaded with hollow-point bullets, which expand upon impact, creating larger wounds”
“Zyklon B, the gas used to kill Jews in Nazi extermination camps and sprayed on migrants in the El Paso ‘baths’”
“caló, a dialect of their making that mixes Spanish and English slang”
“United States and Mexico struck a deal in 1942 establishing the Bracero Program. It granted temporary pero for Mexican laborers to plant and harvest American crops.”
“Operation Wetback, the nation’s largest mass deportation project since the last one, named after an ethic slur that Americans called Mexicanos who entered the country unlawfully by wading across the Rio Grande”
“What is past is past. We made it through. What matters is where we are now.”
“plans started under his predecessor, George E. Bush, to build a wall along the U.S.-México border, including thirty-foot slabs of metal separating El Paso and Juarez.”
three border wars, not one: a war against drugs, a war against migrants, and a war against terror on the American homeland”
“‘anchor baby’, a derogatory term referring to the native born child of a mother without citizenship “
“Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, now total 62.1 million people, or nearly 10 percent of the American population, making us the second-largest racial or ethnic group group in the United States”
“American Dream as James Truslow Adam’s had defined it when he first popularized the term in 1931: ‘Not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social or in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.’”
“It would be years before I realized she had given me more than I could possibly need: her love, her adventurous spirit, and her strength.”
“
“James K Polk invaded Mexico, part of a two-year war to alter its boarders. Polk called it Manifest Destiny.”
“Mexico was forced to relinquish all of its claims to Texas and cede 55 percent of its territory to the United States-including what is now California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, most of Arizona, Colorado, as well as parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.”
“El Paso, the gateway to the American Southwest”
“Angel Island in San Francisco, where mostly Chinese immigrants”
“All Mexican male laborers detained at the hospital and city jail would now be required to soak in delousing “baths” of vinegar and kerosene.”
“Undesirable Aliens Act of 1929, which for the first time made it illegal to cross the border unauthorized.”
“It was loaded with hollow-point bullets, which expand upon impact, creating larger wounds”
“Zyklon B, the gas used to kill Jews in Nazi extermination camps and sprayed on migrants in the El Paso ‘baths’”
“caló, a dialect of their making that mixes Spanish and English slang”
“United States and Mexico struck a deal in 1942 establishing the Bracero Program. It granted temporary pero for Mexican laborers to plant and harvest American crops.”
“Operation Wetback, the nation’s largest mass deportation project since the last one, named after an ethic slur that Americans called Mexicanos who entered the country unlawfully by wading across the Rio Grande”
“What is past is past. We made it through. What matters is where we are now.”
“plans started under his predecessor, George E. Bush, to build a wall along the U.S.-México border, including thirty-foot slabs of metal separating El Paso and Juarez.”
three border wars, not one: a war against drugs, a war against migrants, and a war against terror on the American homeland”
“‘anchor baby’, a derogatory term referring to the native born child of a mother without citizenship “
“Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, now total 62.1 million people, or nearly 10 percent of the American population, making us the second-largest racial or ethnic group group in the United States”
“American Dream as James Truslow Adam’s had defined it when he first popularized the term in 1931: ‘Not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social or in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.’”
“It would be years before I realized she had given me more than I could possibly need: her love, her adventurous spirit, and her strength.”
“
April 23, 2026
Jazmine Ulloa delivers a powerful, deeply human, and beautifully layered account of one of America’s most complex border cities. El Paso is far more than a regional history it is an intimate and sweeping exploration of migration, race, violence, memory, and belonging across generations shaped by the borderlands.
What makes this book especially remarkable is the way Ulloa tells history through the lives of five families, transforming broad political and social forces into personal, unforgettable stories. Through bloodlines marked by migration, struggle, resilience, and survival, she reveals how El Paso becomes more than a place it becomes a living archive of American identity, contradiction, and change.
The book shines in its ability to balance personal narrative with historical depth. By tracing a century of border life, racial tension, displacement, and cultural memory, Ulloa exposes how national policies and public debates are experienced most intensely in private lives. Her work gives readers a more honest understanding of immigration and belonging by centering the people who live those realities every day.
The writing is elegant, compassionate, and unflinchingly honest, making difficult history feel immediate and deeply personal. This is an essential read for anyone interested in American history, immigration, border studies, race, and the enduring relationship between place and identity.
A remarkable contribution to historical nonfiction.
What makes this book especially remarkable is the way Ulloa tells history through the lives of five families, transforming broad political and social forces into personal, unforgettable stories. Through bloodlines marked by migration, struggle, resilience, and survival, she reveals how El Paso becomes more than a place it becomes a living archive of American identity, contradiction, and change.
The book shines in its ability to balance personal narrative with historical depth. By tracing a century of border life, racial tension, displacement, and cultural memory, Ulloa exposes how national policies and public debates are experienced most intensely in private lives. Her work gives readers a more honest understanding of immigration and belonging by centering the people who live those realities every day.
The writing is elegant, compassionate, and unflinchingly honest, making difficult history feel immediate and deeply personal. This is an essential read for anyone interested in American history, immigration, border studies, race, and the enduring relationship between place and identity.
A remarkable contribution to historical nonfiction.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I read this book as an ARC to help select books for the Lewes History Book Festival. While this book is about a very important and timely topic, especially in this political environment, I found this to be another book (similar to "The Dark Side of the Earth" which I read recently) that it was hard for me to get through, despite it only being 285 pages long. Even though there were some interesting threads and insights in this book, I never felt like the narrative arc of the book was clear, and I don't feel like the author tied things up very well at the end of the book. I also found that covering 135 years of immigration history in the El Paso area, involving 5 different families and multiple people per family, along with numerous side characters and various generals and government figures made it difficult to follow the narrative flow across multiple chapters.
It wasn't clear to me why/how the author picked the 5 families in the subtitle, and since there wasn't a single clear theme tying the narrative together or those families to the narrative, the whole book just didn't hang together for me. As a side note, it struck me as odd that the author uses the word "race " in the subtitle, despite this book being about ethnic groups and the issues they face immigrating and assimilating into the US.
It wasn't clear to me why/how the author picked the 5 families in the subtitle, and since there wasn't a single clear theme tying the narrative together or those families to the narrative, the whole book just didn't hang together for me. As a side note, it struck me as odd that the author uses the word "race " in the subtitle, despite this book being about ethnic groups and the issues they face immigrating and assimilating into the US.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
El Paso has long stood at the crossroads of conflict, migration, and identity, and in her debut book El Paso, journalist Jazmine Ulloa explores that history through both reporting and personal connection. Drawing on family ties spanning both sides of the Rio Grande, Ulloa blends memoir, journalism, and historical context to examine immigration, racism, and the forces shaping life along the U.S.–Mexico border. Her writing is immersive and precise, creating a vivid sense of place while grounding policy debates in lived experience.
I rated this book four out of five stars. Ulloa’s strongest moments come from her firsthand reflections and her reporting on the aftermath of the 2019 Walmart mass shooting, which lend emotional depth and urgency to the narrative. At times, I found the overlapping stories of the families she profiles difficult to follow, but the broader message remains compelling and thought-provoking.
This is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in border history, immigration policy, or journalism that centers human experience. Be aware that themes of violence and tragedy are present, which may make it a heavier read for some.
I rated this book four out of five stars. Ulloa’s strongest moments come from her firsthand reflections and her reporting on the aftermath of the 2019 Walmart mass shooting, which lend emotional depth and urgency to the narrative. At times, I found the overlapping stories of the families she profiles difficult to follow, but the broader message remains compelling and thought-provoking.
This is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in border history, immigration policy, or journalism that centers human experience. Be aware that themes of violence and tragedy are present, which may make it a heavier read for some.
April 5, 2026
This is part of a mini-genre of books that focus on one town to as a way to study broader themes in society overall. (Sam Andreson's Boom Town on Oklahoma City is a standout example of this). This book .....felt a little weirdly out of sync.
On the face of it, this should be a really good book. The main issues looked at here are the US-Mexico border and race. The main narrative event was the 2019 massacre in a Wal-Mart parking lot where a white supremacist intentionally shot a slew of Hispanics due to his fears of "Great Replacement" crap. And author Ulloa is a native El Paso-er. But still, it felt weirdly out of sync.
Rather than a story of the US border and race starring El Paso, it felt like the story of the US border and race, featuring occassional guest contributor El Paso. Yeah, the town at the heart of the book isn't really at the heart of the book. It may not even be a vital organ.
The information is good. But I found myself put off and having trouble getting into it, given all the time spent outside the town the book is titled after.
On the face of it, this should be a really good book. The main issues looked at here are the US-Mexico border and race. The main narrative event was the 2019 massacre in a Wal-Mart parking lot where a white supremacist intentionally shot a slew of Hispanics due to his fears of "Great Replacement" crap. And author Ulloa is a native El Paso-er. But still, it felt weirdly out of sync.
Rather than a story of the US border and race starring El Paso, it felt like the story of the US border and race, featuring occassional guest contributor El Paso. Yeah, the town at the heart of the book isn't really at the heart of the book. It may not even be a vital organ.
The information is good. But I found myself put off and having trouble getting into it, given all the time spent outside the town the book is titled after.
March 4, 2026
This book was very well researched and explained. It answered many of my questions about how we got to the place we are with immigration battles in our country. Although the author does place most of the blame for the hate-filled rhetoric on the current president, she also is very unbiased in her views and tells how presidents from the other party also helped to create part of the problem.
If you are looking for a book on this topic, I would choose this one. The author's own perspective from having grown up there and having returned home immediately after the El Paso shooting gives this one an empathy that is missing from many history books.
If you are looking for a book on this topic, I would choose this one. The author's own perspective from having grown up there and having returned home immediately after the El Paso shooting gives this one an empathy that is missing from many history books.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Jazmine Ulloa provides a deep dive into the relationship between the US and Mexico in El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory.
Ulloa's narrative is beautifully written, incorporating interviews and her own first-person perspective. Overall, it's a fascinating micro-level study of current affairs and political history, shining light on the humanity that is sometimes forgotten at the macro level.
Recommended for history buffs, readers interested in social justice, and anyone who follows the current state of affairs in the US and Mexico.
Ulloa's narrative is beautifully written, incorporating interviews and her own first-person perspective. Overall, it's a fascinating micro-level study of current affairs and political history, shining light on the humanity that is sometimes forgotten at the macro level.
Recommended for history buffs, readers interested in social justice, and anyone who follows the current state of affairs in the US and Mexico.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I won a copy of this one in a goodreads giveaway, and I count myself lucky on that. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the history of El Paso from five different perspectives. See, my mom grew up in El Paso and so I was largely familiar with the broad strokes, but this (well-researched) text served to round out my understanding further. Definitely worth a read, and if you're familiar with the city, you'll also see the place that you enjoy coming through. Passing this one on to mom next. She'll appreciate it more than I did!
April 16, 2026
A very timely book that was more of a 3 star read, but given my ties to El Paso, merited 4 stars from me…I felt like the author skipped back and forth so much that it became difficult to follow her arguments. I did listen on audio, so perhaps it would be easier to follow in print? Also, the audiobook alternates between the author and a professional narrator…and this is one of the few instances I’ve ever encountered where I wish the author was not doing any of the narration.
April 13, 2026
This book looks at border control, immigration, families, policies, and the ongoing conflict in El Paso. The overlapping family stories were a little confusing, but overall the message is clear. Unfortunately, this isn't unique to El Paso, and don't foresee these issues getting any better anytime soon.
April 30, 2026
A moving and detailed story of the immigrant families who came to El Paso over the years, their stories and a more general history of the El Paso/Ciudad Juarez area and its demographic and social changes. The story does keep coming back to the horrific mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso in 2019 within this context. Highly recommend.
March 5, 2026
Immigration is a timely topic, but the author tells how past presidents have also contributed to the problem. While immigration is more crucially denounced under the current administration, our country has a need for immigrants, and they have helped us advance culturally
March 22, 2026
Lots of trees, not enough forest.
Needed more direct statement of the reason why we are hearing all these details about these five families. I think this is an important book but needed more editorial clarity. Useful cross border and non European centric history .
Needed more direct statement of the reason why we are hearing all these details about these five families. I think this is an important book but needed more editorial clarity. Useful cross border and non European centric history .
April 8, 2026
4.5 stars, a very specific history of El Paso and the the people who call it home. Some overlap with other books I've read on similar topics, but overall new, fascinating, and challenging information.
April 21, 2026
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and even my Mother read this we live in Las Cruces which is very close and we love thus book its extremely educational, interesting, and eye opening i definitely Recommend
March 27, 2026
Buenisimo! Thank you Jazmine Ulloa.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews