The Dispossessed: A Story of Asylum and the US Border and Beyond

by John Washington

The first comprehensive, in-depth book on the Trump administration’s assault on asylum protections

Arnovis couldn’t stay in El Salvador. If he didn’t leave, a local gangster promised that his family would dress in mourning—that he would wake up with flies in his mouth. “It was like a bomb exploded in my life,” Arnovis said.

The Dispossessed tells the story of a twenty-four-year-old Salvadoran man, Arnovis, whose family’s search for safety shows how the United States—in concert with other Western nations—has gutted asylum protections for the world’s most vulnerable. Crisscrossing the border and Central America, John Washington traces one man’s quest for asylum. Arnovis is separated from his daughter by US Border Patrol agents and struggles to find security after being repeatedly deported to a gang-ruled community in El Salvador, traumatic experiences relayed by Washington with vivid intensity.

Adding historical, literary, and current political context to the discussion of migration today, Washington tells the history of asylum law and practice through ages to the present day. Packed with information and reflection, The Dispossessed is more than a human portrait of those who cross borders—it is an urgent and persuasive case for sharing the country we call home.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History, Social Justice, Race

352 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

American journalist, writer and translator.

Reviews

[Jaidee · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 "unforgettable and immensely important narrative non-fiction" stars !!

5th Favorite Read of 2023

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Verso Books for an ecopy. I am providing an honest review. This was released April 2020.

The United States has built in, into its deepest foundation, the contradiction of claiming to be the land of the free-of "safe and agreeable Asylum'-and of engaging in the racist persecution of those clambering for freedom. It is a land of selective welcome and outright refusal...

John Washington (who is related to yes that Washington) is a freelance journalist who has written a book of not just critical importance but of cruelties and injustices that continue to be perpetuated by powerful nation states and exploitive corporate interests. The focus here is on asylum seekers from Central America. The man we get to know best is Arnovis from El Salvador. Poor, hardworking, a family man and extremely loving father. He accidently hits a gang member in the face while playing soccer and refuses to join another gang. His life and his family are at risk. He attempts asylum in the USA three times and is thrown back to the wolves. The coyotes, the hardships, the anxieties, the unrelenting humiliations....

Peppered throughout this book are philosophical discussions, political discourses, anthropological research and the use of policy to close the gates, to throw people back into extremely dangerous positions all in the name of Western safety... Mr. Washington also introduces to other migrants, asylum seekers and their experiences in their home cities and their treatments in detention centres and prisons. Extorted by gangs and narcos in their home countries and then dehumanized and humiliated by USA officials....the nightmares never stop.

Mr Washington actually experienced one of Anrovis' journeys North himself to see what it would be like. Through jungle, desert, on top of trains being fully aware that his dangers were so much smaller due to his "legitimate" passports, credentials and being a gringo.

We are also given a worldview of hundreds of millions of displaced people in the world who drown at sea, die in refugee camps, tortured in jail.....

The work is not only illuminating and important but clearly and beautifully written.

Mr. Washington calls for the humanity in us to offer comfort and shelter as we can not depend on our nation states to be just or empathic.....

A work I will never forget. Thank you Mr. Washington for your compassion and your consciousness raising....

[Kate Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a mix of genres: journalism, political theory, philosophy. It's also a collection of powerful and compelling individual stories.

I come to it so tired of immigrants needing to have powerful and compelling stories, being forced to tell them again and again to move the hearts of white people enough to maybe not be caged and abused and delivered to people who want to kill you. I want a world where even someone with a dull story can have basic human rights.

But also, yes, more people should be confronted with these faces and histories and details, to take the abstractions of 'border' and 'detention' and 'family separation,' and force us to consider what they mean in a real person's life.

[Daphyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive is the perfect word for this book, but it’s also incredibly engaging. Washington draws out the story of Arnovis and his daughter’s repeated attempts to gain asylum and intersperses it with the history of asylum, current situations in other parts of the world, legal aspects of the asylum process, etc. It’s also clear that John Washington has done his research. I added a whole list of books to my to-read list.

12yo Guatemalan Ivan is asked why he thinks Americans don’t want other people to come to their country. He replied, “Maybe because they never saw someone suffer. Or they just don’t know what it’s like for us.”

It’s past time for Americans to wake up and see the suffering around them.

“This is not my house; it is Christ’s. It does not ask any guest his name but whether he has an affliction. You are suffering; you are hungry and thirsty; you are welcome. And don’t thank me; don’t tell me that I am taking you into my house. This is the home of no man, except the one who needs refuge. I tell you, a traveler, you are more at home here than I.”

Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

[C K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who’s wondered about what it means to seek asylum or whose life is affected by US policies of welcome and exclusion - in other words, everyone. The Dispossessed is a magisterial work that threads centuries of history, literature, poetry, and law together in the indelible, heartrending story of Arnovis, a Salvadoran father who is impelled to leave after he is caught in the crosshairs of the maras - which, as Washington carefully depicts, operate less as gangs as we might conceive of them and more as brutal, criminal, quasi-governments. Washington explains not just how Arnovis came to flee for his life but how cycles of rapacious American imperialism and greed quite literally created his plight - and the plights of millions of others like him. Yet, as the book infuriatingly illustrates, far from acknowledging, let alone understanding, its authorial role in their displacement, the US meets them with walls, jails, and escalatingly draconian policies designed not just to exclude, but to make those who seek safety here suffer for having tried. What makes this book so special is not just how holistically it tells the story of asylum’s erosion, its limits, and the US’s catastrophic failure to protect people in flight for their lives but how beautifully and lyrically it’s written: it’s the rare book that is as informative as it is poetic. And it is a work of tremendous empathy, one which does justice to the generosity and the courage of Arnovis and the many other asylum-seekers who entrust the author to bring their stories to the page. The book concludes with a clarion call at the end: to resist the structures and the frames we use to give ourselves license to exclude; to welcome as a radical act of shared humanity.

[Sam Cote · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book for a migration class at Syracuse University-- despite it being assigned work, it didn't feel like it (no, this review is not homework). The format was engaging, and reminded me a bit of Zen & the Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance, alternating between enthralling narrative and deep dives on relevant concepts. I walked away having a much deeper understanding of how the numbers and statistics in the news translate into the experience on an individual migrant. The historical context he supplements with the story challenged my previous conceptions of migration.

Today, Washington paid our class a visit to discuss the book. He is incredibly knowledgeable, and based on our discussion, he cares deeply about his subjects. I cannot wait for his next release. In the meantime, I'll be convincing everyone I know to read this book.

[J. Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book is breathtaking. It borrows from fiction, journalism, and non-fiction to tell a story of a man fleeing for his life and the trauma he receives. It is equal parts hard to read and can't put down. The prose grabs you like an Elmore Leonard story and the information is never dry. I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Washington mixes story of asylum seekers along with explanation of current asylum policy. He also provides historical explanation of how we got to current situation.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I comment about how some author or journalist gets immigration law wrong (I'm an immigration attorney), I'm told that I'm being too critical, that immigration law is complicated (trust me, I know), and that my expectations are too high.

Bullshit. If John Washington can get it right consistently for 300 pages The New York Times and the rest of them have no excuse.

Really good book that weaves individual stories in with explanations of US immigration law and actually gets the law right. The only part that annoyed me even a little is when he mentions a woman whose asylum case was denied but doesn't mention if she was granted withholding or CAT (lesser forms of protection that don't lead to a green card but still let a person stay unless there is somewhere safe to send them).

If you were considering reading American Dirt, read this and Infinite Country instead. (Seriously, don't read American Dirt.)

[Raja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good summary of the history of asylum

I will admit that all the jumping around in time may have served the narrative but was confusing, given the extensive information that was provided. I especially appreciated his efforts to directly answer common questions about people seeking asylum.

[Ietrio · Rating 2 out of 5]

A petty writer exploiting the suffering of many not to dismantle the system, but only to change the current dictator with one of his liking, and maybe make some dollars along the way as a self-titled expert.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be extremely informative while excessively wordy with few suggestions towards 'dismantling the system'. The book read best when Washington dove into narratives, opposed to excessively wordy academic speculation, the latter more common than the former. I somewhat agree with a previous review here stating that Washington is "A petty writer exploiting the suffering of many not to dismantle the system, but only to change the current dictator with one of his liking".

It bothered me to know that a John Washington from Brooklyn was writing about the plight and suffering of Central American, even writing about his trip LARPing as a migrant during their journey in a higher pursuit of journalism, and possibly profiting off his creation. I emailed him and he responded within twelve hours:

"Thanks for reading my book. None of the profits are going to any of the migrants I spoke with. I don't pay sources for their stories. They share them with me voluntarily. Nor, if I'm being frank, do I make much money on book writing. I don't even know if I broke even with this project."

[Mack Blaurock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows the story of Arnovis, a young Salvadoran and father, who catches the attention of a gang and is forced to flee El Salvador and seek asylum in the United States. His story is paired with the history and the politics of asylums and does a great job illustrating how American foreign policy and asylum policy would affect someone like Arnovis and other people in need all around the world. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic, from what I've read it does the best as emphasizing the humanity of the asylum seekers and makes clear the direct affects of American nativism and American intervention in the global south. My heart breaks for Arnovis, his daughter Meybelín and their family, no one deserves to live a life a fear for making such a small mistake. I hope you have found peace and are out of danger.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Washington does a thorough job of digging into both the broad and specific aspects of those who have been driven by danger to seek asylum. He interviews individuals who have struggled with seeking asylum at the southern US border and highlights the arbitrary nature of those allowed safety. He thoroughly researches the history of asylum back to the Greeks, the failings of current international laws, and America's history with creating Central American gangs who in turn create new asylum seekers. This is a thought-provoking and maddening book which should be required reading to all American politicians who ignorantly punish those who need our help most.

[Meir Lax · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just meh. I wanted to like this book and it has a great story to tell, but it is interspersed with long essays that made my eyes glaze over. With that said, I learned a lot about migration, asylum, and the human tragedies at the U.S. border. I only wish that the author focused on telling these compelling stories, as these human dramas/ tragedies speak for themselves. I felt like I was constantly being yanked from being engrossed in these stories to being lectured at by the author. Had the author focused on these real human stories this book would have been much more impactful on me, instead I was constantly distracted by the authors essays on the subject.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book written with a genuine touch of humanity. The writes holds a romantic view on "Asylum", a word created by the ancient Greeks, talking through the book our migrant history as a human race, woven across the story of a few characters and their destiny.

The unfortunate rise of populism caused more unjust and suffering of those who tries to escape a life under fear, despite the grave danger affront - the writer told their stories with deep empathy.

Unfortunately, after a few years, the situation became 10 folder worse for those who was trying to escape their country. Humanity takes a huge setback.

I have to applaud for the writer's empathy, humanity, and decency.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of this book was very good - particularly a much needed history of asylum philosophy and law. The reporting on what people endure and the abuse they suffer when trying to be granted asylum was excellent.

However, the contempt and rage the author shows towards the citizens of countries asked to grant asylum was infuriating and not helpful in the least. I say this as someone who believes that the way my country treats immigrants and asylum seekers is horrifying - especially now.

[Evy D · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow! this was such a good book to learn more about both the personal experiences of those migrating to the US from central america and our immigration policy. The author gives a compelling argument about how much the US is at fault for our own “refugee crisis”. And he connects the book to its namesake (Le Guinn’s Dispossesed) as he talks about the way our current approach to immigration leaves refugees without a state, without rights, and dispossessed their humanity.

[Peter Wassam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be mandatory reading. A comprehensive and fact-filled look at humanity’s history of seeking asylum, all told through the story of one Salvadoran man and his daughter. Enlightening and heart-wrenching.

[Jim Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tragic story of a Salvadoran migrant. The injustice of our asylum policy is evident in this story.

[Andy Marin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible book. An incredibly well-written, harrowing exposure of the cruelty asylum seekers are subjected to. Wish I could throw this book at everyone lol

[Elizabeth Hamel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story and an incredible way to educate people on the faults in the immigration system

[Luisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely informative! John Washington includes well-researched information on the topic of asylum starting with the early Greeks. He follows the difficult journey of recent asylum seekers trying to escape death and torture in their native countries only to be turned back. Best of all, his extensive research expose past and recent US interventions in Central America which created the unlivable conditions that prompt many to flee.