Between the Lines: Letters Between Undocumented Mexican and Latin American Immigrants and Their Families and Friends

by Larry Siems (Editor), Jimmy Santiago Baca (Introduction)

In the continuing U.S. debate over illegal immigration, a human face has rarely been shown. The topic has been presented as a monolithic abstraction, a creation of statistics, political rhetoric, and fear. This collection of letters between undocumented immigrants in California and their families back home reveals the other side of the story. Published for the first time in paperback, Between the Lines reveals the often poignant human drama currently being played out along the U.S.-Mexico border. The letters, presented in Spanish and English, express powerful feelings of hope, uncertainty, and fear among the undocumented travelers as they arrive in the United States and seek work, social support and legal status. The letters from their families in Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador return feelings of hope, love, and support. Translator/editor Siems provides a powerful and lyrical introductory essay that sets the stage for the letters that follow.

311 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1995

Reviews

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God, this was so good. I want to teach it. But more so if I lived in NoVA or somewhere with a larger hispanic population. I think it'd be great with a non-fiction unit or a look at text structures and authors' purposes. Anyway, this was beautiful. I think it's an important read. Best parts were the love letters and the chapter entitled "Insubstitutable Comrades". So hopeful and human. Loved it!