Imaginary Borders

Pocket Change Collective

by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

Pocket Change Collective was born out of a need for space. Space to think. Space to connect. Space to be yourself. And this is your invitation to join us.

In this personal, moving essay, environmental activist and hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez uses his art and his activism to show that climate change is a human issue that can't be ignored.

Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today's leading activists and artists. In this installment, Earth Guardians Youth Director and hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez shows us how his music feeds his environmental activism and vice versa. Martinez visualizes a future that allows us to direct our anger, fear, and passion toward creating change. Because, at the end of the day, we all have a part to play.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook, Essays, Indigenous, Social Justice, Climate Change

1 pages, Audiobook

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[jacqueline noel]

A short and simple, yet profound book about climate change and youth activism. I actually learned quite a few things in this book and it also gave me more motivation to educate myself further on climate change! It’s real y’all! (And thank god for gen-z!)

[Maria Keeps Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend listening to the audio book. Hearing the words directly from the author was very impactful. Check out the work being done by the Earth Guardians to save our planet 🌍

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: https://youtu.be/Kl4YqbjPgHk

[shannon ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once you get over the initial comment of “I was listening to the Joe Rogan podcast”... it was a great read.

I listened to the audiobook and it was great to hear this told in the authors own voice. The passion, drive and determination comes through continuously throughout the pocket book. A very good introduction and opportunity to reflect on the climate crisis and its impact on marginalized, radicalized, immigrant and low-income communities.

I’ll be reading more of these pocket books.

[Bruna Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talvez eu tenha lido esse livro porque sou fã da música de Xiuhtezcatl? Talvez. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ O foco desse livro é o impacto ambiental de conflito políticos e problemas econômicos; como não existe resolver apenas um aspecto da nossa vida e ficar adiando lidar com o fato que estamos desrespeitando constantemente a natureza é, claro, uma idiotice em todos os aspectos (inclusive econômicos).

Xiuhtezcatl cresceu numa família de ativistas, indígena e imigrante. Ele cresceu ouvindo e participando de movimentos sociais, ambientais e políticos e hoje continua fazendo isso como escritor, músico e membro de organizações não governamentais para buscar soluções ao relacionamento tóxico entre nós com a natureza.

Gostei de saber mais sobre a história dele e como fizeste paralelos entre várias áreas da nossa vida e como isso impacta o ambiente. Queria que fosse mais longo, mas a proposta aqui é apresentar ideias e soluções para movimentar conversas e fez isso muito bem.

[Lizzie S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Destiny (myhoneyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5

This was a very different perspective on climate change than the one touted by rich, straight, and white guys. This was like a universal call, attempting to touch everyone possible with its message. Martínez definitely got me thinking and more interesting in the climate change crisis. Their narration was energetic and entertaining with the use of song throughout this small book. This is one I didn’t expect to have as much of an impact on me as it did.


**Thank you Penguin Random House for the audiobook!

[Alina Karapandzich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little novella-length of an introduction to the climate change crisis from the perspective of an indigenous youth activist who has been in this fight since she was 6 years old. A great inspiring call-to-action/motivational little book! Also talks deeply about how climate change is a racial and human rights issue and it disproportionately affects communities of color and how we need to decolonize the climate change movement.

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part of the Pocket Change Collective. This is a small collection of small books (they can fit in your pocket) on topics related to teens today. I’ve seen the author speak at an event for English teachers and liked what he had to say.

This is a quick read about the work Martinez has done to raise awareness about environmental issues and how to make a change.

The book is written in an informal manner. He includes a section about his music that felt like a quick commercial break.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great message; love and appreciate the intersectionality.

…

I know I’m being a Nitpicky 30-something, but I could have done without the use of the word Homie and the sparse cursing.

Not sure how I feel about the reference of Joe Rogan’s podcast (this was published before Rogan’s antivax controversy).

[Jas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really quick read, bringing together the need for activism and presenting it through a more personal story. For a lot of people, this book might feel like preaching to the choir. But for anyone new to environmental activism I think this book can be really important in understanding how the path forward has to be inclusive. I kind of wish the book had been more in depth in a lot of ways, but I understand that this series is meant to be short books, and a space for reflection. I'm definitely going to follow the author though to stay up to date, as they are incredibly involved in fighting climate change and I'm interested in learning more about their work.

[Chelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt scattered a lot of the time, as Martinez jumps around from climate change to music to immigration. I just wasn't always sure about the thread of his argument, although I do think it is heartfelt and relatable.

[Isaac Bouyack · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I agreed with many of his points, I did not care for Martinez's writing style. Also, I would have liked to see a source page. Not a bad little read.

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story about climate change and what we can do to change it. These stories are all quick to read, but definitely pack a punch.

[Chloe Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We're not passive because we're ignorant and don't understand the challenges our world is facing ... we often remain silent because these stories of crisis are never met with stories of solution .... To cope with the broken world we live in, we distract ourselves"

A powerful essay on the need to see the climate crisis as more than an environmental problem, but one of social justice and an opportunity to build a fairer, more just society. Highlighting the prevalence of environmental racism, the potential for climate displacement, and the opportunities in tackling the climate crisis, this is a great introduction to these topics in a short essay read by the author.

[Lex’s Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

[REVIEW]

In less than 100 pages, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez is able to explain how things such as immigration, racial justice, and climate change are all interconnected and why we must address all of these issues, not just one. Xiuhtezcatl Martinez brings so much emotion and passion in the audiobook, I truly felt angry alongside him. I recommend this book to EVERYONE. Please read this if you haven’t already.

[Kayla Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I honestly love this little book. I wish there were less swears so I could teach it with my middle schoolers. Martinez gives a great overview of climate change without going too in depth, but provides resources for anyone interested in delving deeper.

[Victoria Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook, read by the author Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, was “small but mighty”! A fantastic and powerful reminder that climate change is deeply intertwined with social and racial justice issues. It’s also a novel of hope for the future and a message that there is space in all of our lives for action when it comes to climate change!

[Mora]

This was a good essay about environmental activism and the intersection between the ecological crisis and social justice.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read. This. Book. And all the books in the Pocket Change Collective! Only 64 pages. You can read it in one sitting.

[Christine Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small but mighty book that focuses on what you can do to help with the climate crisis. I really like the author's focus on how to direct your anger about climate change into solutions.

[Hâf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating bitesize book about youth activism to do with climate change. I love this series of books.

[Carissa Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem from the Pocket Change Collective! Definitely have to follow Xiuhtezcatl Martinez as well as his and his family’s work with The Earth Guardians - which for decades have represented thousands of youth leaders, activists, and artists in the intersections of environmental and climate justice. Using art, storytelling, civic engagement, and legal action, the Earth Guardians advance solutions addressing the critical issues we face as a global community.

This book is an accessible and necessary 65 pg read on environmental racism, the disassociation with our environment as well as the inspiration we all need to create everyday change to combat climate change and positively impact group think through pursuing our own passions and spreading awareness in our own ways.

I found the copious relevant, recent evidence of environmental racism and how BIPOC, the people of the global South, near coastlines and low SES families experience most frequently and harshly the negative impacts of climate change while producing the least amount of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide emissions to be tangible and easy to remember. One recent example that especially comes to mind was the 2017 drought in Syria leading to harsh economic and social strife and the war, thus beginning the Syrian refugee crisis. These refugees among many others escape political, economic and environmental terror and then are denied by several “wealthy” developed nations who especially in the last couple of decades have seen an increase in anti-immigrant, refugee sentiment while also disassociating themselves from the environment and the harm humans have been causing to the planet since the Industrial Revolution.

This book covers many specific examples of such capitalist exploitive legislations such as Donald Trump pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement, and it might be easy to get depressed about all of the great statistics Xiuhtezcatl provides to help support your arguments for climate justice, BUT he also does a wonderfully good job explaining his own burnout in climate activism with the general lack of understanding, responsibility or even belief from unfortunately a very large population, and then journey back to activism through his passion of art, hip hop and organizing. A great read, I can’t wait to share this with everyone!!!

[Amzette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very powerful audiobook packed into less than an hour to listen to! He is one very young and talented activist and artist. I too am from Colorado and I graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder. It was nice to hear him name off places that I’m familiar with.
I wish that he would have given more pointers on how we as individuals can help with the climate change. I’m mainly bedridden or housebound. One thing that does bother me here in Colorado is how it’s not very easy to recycle. I had lived in Oregon for 6 years and they were big on recycling! Their recycling bins were much bigger than the trash bins. It was very easy to find recycling receptacles. It costs here in Colorado to recycle! It was definitely a big change moving back here.
I’m very encouraged and inspired by this young man and many like him. I know that I have the option to donate to this cause. That will have to go on my list, since I’m not working and my husband has been on a medical leave.
I definitely recommend that everyone listen to this audiobook and do your part to help with the climate change. I’m glad that I came across this audio!
As always, my fellow Goodreader’s, Happy Reading and/or Listening! 💜📚🎧

[Alison Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listening to someone talk about the climate crisis and how much worse it's going to get, and how soon, makes me on the one hand wish we could speed up the whole "colonizing Mars" thing, but on the other hand think "Fuck no, we'll ruin the hell out of that planet just like we did this one!"

This is a good quick look at the damage that has already been done to our societies and the planet as a whole by climate change, and specifically by industrial development and rampant capitalism, with low-income communities of color bearing the brunt of it. The author provides a lot of stats to back up the terrifying reality, and it's easy to see how we're really running out of time to start taking the issue seriously. Unfortunately, here in the US we have one of two major political parties that apparently thinks God gave us a planet just so we could destroy it.

I appreciated how the author connected climate change and immigration, and how well the concept in the title of "imaginary borders" wove those two topics together. However, this was fairly unbalanced in terms of "here's what has happened" versus "here's what we can and should do about it." He does mention things like the Green New Deal, but there's not a lot about actual solutions or tangible actions. And while I liked hearing about the connection in his life between his activism and hip-hop, he did go off on a fairly long tangent about that which felt a bit unnecessary.

This was also my first time listening to an audiobook. It definitely would not work for me with a full-length novel, because even with this tiny book (about 45 minutes), I had to stop and back it up a few times because I realized my mind had drifted, and that's something that would happen a LOT with a novel. Plus, this felt more like listening to a one-person podcast, which is easier for me to take in via audio, whereas a novel is going to have a lot more threads to retain. So it's not a medium I'll be using more than every once in a great while with a very short nonfiction like this, but it was interesting to try it out this way.

[Phi · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Artists have more power than these crooked politicians”

This has really opened my eyes, to a lot of things. I’ve given it four stars because I just wish it was longer and that Martinez had expanded on his own experiences.

I thought that the most important part was when Martinez explained how, to truly understand the climate crisis, we must listen to POC voices - as these are the communities which are often affected the most by climate change. It’s true, and something which I am ashamed to admit that I hadn’t thought about before. I did, of course, know how severely climate change affects countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa and Australasia. But it didn’t occur to me how people of colour in Europe and North America are also disproportionately affected by climate change - in contrast to their white counterparts. This clearly shows my privilege, as a white person living in a country which exploits natural resources but doesn’t experience most of the consequences. Xiuhtezcatl Martinez has shown me that it is not enough just to listen David Attenborough, and it is not enough just to listen to Greta Thunberg. Because, whilst David Attenborough may have watched the world change and whilst Greta Thunberg may be a pioneer in the future of the environmental movement, they haven’t experienced the affects of climate change first hand. The message is, we need to amplify POC voices on all issues - not just BLM and other directly race-related issues - because they are the people who suffer unjustly for white greed.

Thank you, Xiuhtezcatl.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, brief perspective provided by an own voice (Indigenous), young person who has been actively involved in making changes. This series is really meant to be rousing and inspirational --to make teens feel that they have power and are able to do what they want now and not 10+ years in the future.

The title is a delightful reminder of the imaginary borders that are overtly between the Indigenous American tribes including those within the United States as well as without and captured by their neighboring colonized lands like Mexico and Canada. In a more subtle way, the title refers to the lines separating those the poor, working poor, and working class and how that ties into their present location.

Overall, there is a discussion of ownership over one's responsibility and actions as they impact the land. The environmental discussion is serious, forward thinking, and actionable for teens today. There are actions through music, protest, government/civic discussions, and learning/sharing what one has learned about their environment. It is quite meaty for how small it is and it truly does feel like a book to inspire young change-makers.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can I get our high school students to give these Pocket Change Collective books a chance?! Sooooo good. Martinez speaks about breaking down the imaginary borders between ourselves and the environment; it's a book about a new, inclusive activism for a new generation. It's about climate change, the power of music, the power of making change, and about how climate/environmental issues are disproportionately affective people of color and people in poverty.

At no time did I feel that he was really speaking to me, though. The audience is definitely younger, so I recommend this to older adults who are in a position of marketing this to younger people who need to hear/read it, and to teens and new adults. It's such a refreshing voice to hear, though, and I'm glad I listened. Martinez filled me with hope this morning.

[Jen (Remembered Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea behind the Pocket Change Collective series (small introductions to topical issues aimed at a younger audience) is fantastic. But the issue here, as with the series as a whole, is that they’re just a little too short for all the information that they introduce. In this volume in particular (which is two-thirds climate change and one third author memoir), it felt like there needed either another 20 pages to flesh things out or else a reference section to serve as a jumping off point (or ideally both).

But allowing the limitations built into the format of the series, this succeeds as a solid discussion piece.

[Riley Aldridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this essay about the intersectionality of the climate crisis we're facing and bonus points for not making readers feel hopeless!! martinez did a good job of talking about how while the movement can feel hopeless at times, there are steps we can all take to make change. i'll be checking out more pocket change collective books asap