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Illegal: Life And Death In Arizona's Immigration War Zone
Terry Greene Sterling enters the fearful ghettoes of Arizona, the gateway for nearly half of the nation's undocumented immigrants and the state that is the least welcoming toward them, to tell the stories of the men, women, and children who have crossed the border.
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 4, 2012
The cover says it all—a man leaning on a concrete wall, one foot propped up and his hands in his pockets. He blends into the concrete background as if maybe he’s stepped through the wall. His gaze is straightforward. He’s making eye contact. It’s your choice to look and see.
Illegal: Life and Death in Arizona’s Immigration War Zone is for those who want to stop and look. The book considers the lives of Mexican immigrants as individual human beings, not numbers or fodder for a policy debate.
Ilegal is a series of portraits and situations that show the inter-locking relationships of peoples and cultures on both sides of the border. The subtitle doesn’t references more than just Arizona—it’s the whole “war zone.”
Terry Greene Sterling, whose family has its roots in Mexico, reports from both sides of the border. Her eye is keen. Her ability to befriend people from all walks of life is a pleasure to watch. Her writing is powerful—and calm. Sterling has an understated style.
The cumulative detail is powerful—real lives with real issues facing real consequences and trying to work where they are welcomed and stay out of the authorities’ spotlight. For most of the book, Greene takes a just-the-facts approach but it’s pretty easy to see where she’s coming from in taking apart Sheriff Joe Arpaio and in her empathetic profiles of the individuals flowing back and forth across the border.
The overriding message from Illegals is the two countries are inextricably interwoven. Greene makes a compelling case that undocumented immigrants contribute mightily to the economic and cultural landscape. It’s one thing to sit back with your policy hat and pontificate from afar. It’s another to look up close and personal and see the human beings at the center of it all.
Sterling’s Illegal will leave you thinking as much about the aspirations of individuals and much less about how best to demonize those who just happen to want to come here from another country.
Illegal: Life and Death in Arizona’s Immigration War Zone is for those who want to stop and look. The book considers the lives of Mexican immigrants as individual human beings, not numbers or fodder for a policy debate.
Ilegal is a series of portraits and situations that show the inter-locking relationships of peoples and cultures on both sides of the border. The subtitle doesn’t references more than just Arizona—it’s the whole “war zone.”
Terry Greene Sterling, whose family has its roots in Mexico, reports from both sides of the border. Her eye is keen. Her ability to befriend people from all walks of life is a pleasure to watch. Her writing is powerful—and calm. Sterling has an understated style.
The cumulative detail is powerful—real lives with real issues facing real consequences and trying to work where they are welcomed and stay out of the authorities’ spotlight. For most of the book, Greene takes a just-the-facts approach but it’s pretty easy to see where she’s coming from in taking apart Sheriff Joe Arpaio and in her empathetic profiles of the individuals flowing back and forth across the border.
The overriding message from Illegals is the two countries are inextricably interwoven. Greene makes a compelling case that undocumented immigrants contribute mightily to the economic and cultural landscape. It’s one thing to sit back with your policy hat and pontificate from afar. It’s another to look up close and personal and see the human beings at the center of it all.
Sterling’s Illegal will leave you thinking as much about the aspirations of individuals and much less about how best to demonize those who just happen to want to come here from another country.
July 7, 2019
Terry is a masterful reporter and writer. Can't wait for her next book!
July 26, 2010
Disclaimer #1: This is my first review; I am more of a consumer of reviews. However, seeing as I might be the first to rate this book and because I am rating it three stars, I felt that I should post a review of the book to make up for my rating. I liked this book and I don't want my 3-star rating to discourage anybody from reading it. Again, keep in mind that I am a better reader of reviews than I am a writer of reviews. To make matters worse, this is my first review on Goodreads.
Disclaimer #2: As my profile says, 3-star books are not bad books. They are books that I would recommend. I rated this book 3 stars because it is three stars- I "liked" it, I wouldn't say I "really liked", and it wasn't "amazing". I am not sure if a non-fiction book can even rise to the level of "amazing." I thought maybe I should scale this book on some non-fiction scale, but even then I think it is still 3-stars. I enjoyed reading it, but it is not "Silent Spring".
The Review: In "Illegal: Life and Death in Arizona's Immigration War Zone", Terry Green Sterling does a good job of putting a human face on the illegal immigration issue that has divided Arizona. Some might say that this shows that the author is biased. For them, it is too difficult to look into the human face of the issue, it is more convenient to look at undocumented migrants as criminals and to repeat platitudes ad nauseam, like "illegal is illegal", as they cheer photo radar being removed from the highways so they will no longer be inconvenienced to follow the speed limit.
That is not to say that the author is not biased, she is and it shows in the novel, but only in a between the lines sort of way. She states the facts, however, you can tell that she cares deeply about the people whose stories she tells and this is not a bad thing, I believe it is the only way that these stories could be told.
I particularly enjoyed her recounting of Sherriff Joe's immigration raids on the Town of Guadalupe. My daily commute into work takes me through Guadalupe and I remember when those raids were going on. It was nice to get an on-the-ground, outside-of-the-car report on what was going on during that whole time. I am glad I never got pulled over, but maybe that is just because I am a Gringo.
One thing that the frustrated me about the book is that the some of the profiles don't seem to have enough closure. It seemed like this book was rushed to market before the newest and most controversial immigration law, SB 1070, goes into effect. One chapter ends with the person facing their deportation trial to happen in August 2010; another ends with the person's fate indeterminate. Did he die in Mexico? What happened to the wife and kids? What were the results of their decision to return to Mexico? It would have been nice if the author had tied up some of these loose ends. You can't help but care about these people, even if it is only a little, and it would be nice to know how their chapters (not stories) ends.
Individual closures aside, the "epilogue" to the book provided some. The question the author is exploring on illegal immigration is not a moral question, but a practical one. I think this is where common ground should eventually be found. In fact, this morning I read in the Arizona Republic an article about House Republican Jeff Flake's views on SB1070, he argued that the law should have went into effect without challenge from the Justice Department since it would show that the law would do little to change anything, "and if [SB 1070:] does lead to large increases in arrests, there is the question of detention space and court proceeding. There are 12 million illegal immigrants. Providing due process for that number of people would take decades and cost who knows how much. We simply have to figure out a more reasonable policy."
Jeff Flake goes on to discuss Republican fears are that the major reason why Democrats want to push amnesty is because they know that those new citizens will be added to the Democrat Party's voter rolls. But I think one thing that this book shows is that this is ultimately the fault of the Republicans. The book documents migrants who are conservative and religious- they fit the demographics of a Republican. It is only the Republican's harsh treatment of the migrants, through draconian laws and villianization, that these migrants, should they become citizens, would forever be Democrats. It is the Democrats who champion their causes, who treat them as the human beings that they are.
Let's hope that their faith in Obama is not as misplaced as their faith in God.
Disclaimer #2: As my profile says, 3-star books are not bad books. They are books that I would recommend. I rated this book 3 stars because it is three stars- I "liked" it, I wouldn't say I "really liked", and it wasn't "amazing". I am not sure if a non-fiction book can even rise to the level of "amazing." I thought maybe I should scale this book on some non-fiction scale, but even then I think it is still 3-stars. I enjoyed reading it, but it is not "Silent Spring".
The Review: In "Illegal: Life and Death in Arizona's Immigration War Zone", Terry Green Sterling does a good job of putting a human face on the illegal immigration issue that has divided Arizona. Some might say that this shows that the author is biased. For them, it is too difficult to look into the human face of the issue, it is more convenient to look at undocumented migrants as criminals and to repeat platitudes ad nauseam, like "illegal is illegal", as they cheer photo radar being removed from the highways so they will no longer be inconvenienced to follow the speed limit.
That is not to say that the author is not biased, she is and it shows in the novel, but only in a between the lines sort of way. She states the facts, however, you can tell that she cares deeply about the people whose stories she tells and this is not a bad thing, I believe it is the only way that these stories could be told.
I particularly enjoyed her recounting of Sherriff Joe's immigration raids on the Town of Guadalupe. My daily commute into work takes me through Guadalupe and I remember when those raids were going on. It was nice to get an on-the-ground, outside-of-the-car report on what was going on during that whole time. I am glad I never got pulled over, but maybe that is just because I am a Gringo.
One thing that the frustrated me about the book is that the some of the profiles don't seem to have enough closure. It seemed like this book was rushed to market before the newest and most controversial immigration law, SB 1070, goes into effect. One chapter ends with the person facing their deportation trial to happen in August 2010; another ends with the person's fate indeterminate. Did he die in Mexico? What happened to the wife and kids? What were the results of their decision to return to Mexico? It would have been nice if the author had tied up some of these loose ends. You can't help but care about these people, even if it is only a little, and it would be nice to know how their chapters (not stories) ends.
Individual closures aside, the "epilogue" to the book provided some. The question the author is exploring on illegal immigration is not a moral question, but a practical one. I think this is where common ground should eventually be found. In fact, this morning I read in the Arizona Republic an article about House Republican Jeff Flake's views on SB1070, he argued that the law should have went into effect without challenge from the Justice Department since it would show that the law would do little to change anything, "and if [SB 1070:] does lead to large increases in arrests, there is the question of detention space and court proceeding. There are 12 million illegal immigrants. Providing due process for that number of people would take decades and cost who knows how much. We simply have to figure out a more reasonable policy."
Jeff Flake goes on to discuss Republican fears are that the major reason why Democrats want to push amnesty is because they know that those new citizens will be added to the Democrat Party's voter rolls. But I think one thing that this book shows is that this is ultimately the fault of the Republicans. The book documents migrants who are conservative and religious- they fit the demographics of a Republican. It is only the Republican's harsh treatment of the migrants, through draconian laws and villianization, that these migrants, should they become citizens, would forever be Democrats. It is the Democrats who champion their causes, who treat them as the human beings that they are.
Let's hope that their faith in Obama is not as misplaced as their faith in God.
July 26, 2010
Disclaimer #1: This is my first review; I am more of a consumer of reviews. However, seeing as I might be the first to rate this book and because I am rating it three stars, I felt that I should post a review of the book to make up for my rating. I liked this book and I don't want my 3-star rating to discourage anybody from reading it. Again, keep in mind that I am a better reader of reviews than I am a writer of reviews. To make matters worse, this is my first review on Goodreads.
Disclaimer #2: As my profile says, 3-star books are not bad books. They are books that I would recommend. I rated this book 3 stars because it is three stars- I "liked" it, I wouldn't say I "really liked", and it wasn't "amazing". I am not sure if a non-fiction book can even rise to the level of "amazing." I thought maybe I should scale this book on some non-fiction scale, but even then I think it is still 3-stars. I enjoyed reading it, but it is not "Silent Spring".
The Review: In "Illegal: Life and Death in Arizona's Immigration War Zone", Terry Green Sterling does a good job of putting a human face on the illegal immigration issue that has divided Arizona. Some might say that this shows that the author is biased. For them, it is too difficult to look into the human face of the issue, it is more convenient to look at undocumented migrants as criminals and to repeat platitudes ad nauseam, like "illegal is illegal", as they cheer photo radar being removed from the highways so they will no longer be inconvenienced to follow the speed limit.
That is not to say that the author is not biased, she is and it shows in the novel, but only in a between the lines sort of way. She states the facts, however, you can tell that she cares deeply about the people whose stories she tells and this is not a bad thing, I believe it is the only way that these stories could be told.
I particularly enjoyed her recounting of Sherriff Joe's immigration raids on the Town of Guadalupe. My daily commute into work takes me through Guadalupe and I remember when those raids were going on. It was nice to get an on-the-ground, outside-of-the-car report on what was going on during that whole time. I am glad I never got pulled over, but maybe that is just because I am a Gringo.
One thing that the frustrated me about the book is that the some of the profiles don't seem to have enough closure. It seemed like this book was rushed to market before the newest and most controversial immigration law, SB 1070, goes into effect. One chapter ends with the person facing their deportation trial to happen in August 2010; another ends with the person's fate indeterminate. Did he die in Mexico? What happened to the wife and kids? What were the results of their decision to return to Mexico? It would have been nice if the author had tied up some of these loose ends. You can't help but care about these people, even if it is only a little, and it would be nice to know how their chapters (not stories) ends.
Individual closures aside, the "epilogue" to the book provided some. The question the author is exploring on illegal immigration is not a moral question, but a practical one. I think this is where common ground should eventually be found. In fact, this morning I read in the Arizona Republic an article about House Republican Jeff Flake's views on SB1070, he argued that the law should have went into effect without challenge from the Justice Department since it would show that the law would do little to change anything, "and if [SB 1070:] does lead to large increases in arrests, there is the question of detention space and court proceeding. There are 12 million illegal immigrants. Providing due process for that number of people would take decades and cost who knows how much. We simply have to figure out a more reasonable policy."
Jeff Flake goes on to discuss Republican fears are that the major reason why Democrats want to push amnesty is because they know that those new citizens will be added to the Democrat Party's voter rolls. But I think one thing that this book shows is that this is ultimately the fault of the Republicans. The book documents migrants who are conservative and religious- they fit the demographics of a Republican. It is only the Republican's harsh treatment of the migrants, through draconian laws and villianization, that these migrants, should they become citizens, would forever be Democrats. It is the Democrats who champion their causes, who treat them as the human beings that they are.
Let's hope that their faith in Obama is not as misplaced as their faith in God.
Disclaimer #2: As my profile says, 3-star books are not bad books. They are books that I would recommend. I rated this book 3 stars because it is three stars- I "liked" it, I wouldn't say I "really liked", and it wasn't "amazing". I am not sure if a non-fiction book can even rise to the level of "amazing." I thought maybe I should scale this book on some non-fiction scale, but even then I think it is still 3-stars. I enjoyed reading it, but it is not "Silent Spring".
The Review: In "Illegal: Life and Death in Arizona's Immigration War Zone", Terry Green Sterling does a good job of putting a human face on the illegal immigration issue that has divided Arizona. Some might say that this shows that the author is biased. For them, it is too difficult to look into the human face of the issue, it is more convenient to look at undocumented migrants as criminals and to repeat platitudes ad nauseam, like "illegal is illegal", as they cheer photo radar being removed from the highways so they will no longer be inconvenienced to follow the speed limit.
That is not to say that the author is not biased, she is and it shows in the novel, but only in a between the lines sort of way. She states the facts, however, you can tell that she cares deeply about the people whose stories she tells and this is not a bad thing, I believe it is the only way that these stories could be told.
I particularly enjoyed her recounting of Sherriff Joe's immigration raids on the Town of Guadalupe. My daily commute into work takes me through Guadalupe and I remember when those raids were going on. It was nice to get an on-the-ground, outside-of-the-car report on what was going on during that whole time. I am glad I never got pulled over, but maybe that is just because I am a Gringo.
One thing that the frustrated me about the book is that the some of the profiles don't seem to have enough closure. It seemed like this book was rushed to market before the newest and most controversial immigration law, SB 1070, goes into effect. One chapter ends with the person facing their deportation trial to happen in August 2010; another ends with the person's fate indeterminate. Did he die in Mexico? What happened to the wife and kids? What were the results of their decision to return to Mexico? It would have been nice if the author had tied up some of these loose ends. You can't help but care about these people, even if it is only a little, and it would be nice to know how their chapters (not stories) ends.
Individual closures aside, the "epilogue" to the book provided some. The question the author is exploring on illegal immigration is not a moral question, but a practical one. I think this is where common ground should eventually be found. In fact, this morning I read in the Arizona Republic an article about House Republican Jeff Flake's views on SB1070, he argued that the law should have went into effect without challenge from the Justice Department since it would show that the law would do little to change anything, "and if [SB 1070:] does lead to large increases in arrests, there is the question of detention space and court proceeding. There are 12 million illegal immigrants. Providing due process for that number of people would take decades and cost who knows how much. We simply have to figure out a more reasonable policy."
Jeff Flake goes on to discuss Republican fears are that the major reason why Democrats want to push amnesty is because they know that those new citizens will be added to the Democrat Party's voter rolls. But I think one thing that this book shows is that this is ultimately the fault of the Republicans. The book documents migrants who are conservative and religious- they fit the demographics of a Republican. It is only the Republican's harsh treatment of the migrants, through draconian laws and villianization, that these migrants, should they become citizens, would forever be Democrats. It is the Democrats who champion their causes, who treat them as the human beings that they are.
Let's hope that their faith in Obama is not as misplaced as their faith in God.
November 14, 2013
I think this book gives some had reality related details. When I live din California, every day, I would read some or the other news in the paper about illegal immigrants. Whenever we visited downtown San Diego, I remember, we carried our passports to prove our stay was legal in the US. The interstate closer to San Diego had many signs of people crossing.
While on one had the urge is understood, I think, it is something that is uncalled for. I have felt that this whole thing is an ordeal for those who cross illegally into the United States. The book is quite clinical in nature. It is certainly not an easy read. It made me pause several times to reflect on the feelings of those immigrating illegally as well as on the feelings of the police department personnel.
Read the book if you do no know about the upheaval of illegal immigrants in the United States. If you are okay to read some really sad stories, this book is for you. Else, just be happy in being ignorant about it.
While on one had the urge is understood, I think, it is something that is uncalled for. I have felt that this whole thing is an ordeal for those who cross illegally into the United States. The book is quite clinical in nature. It is certainly not an easy read. It made me pause several times to reflect on the feelings of those immigrating illegally as well as on the feelings of the police department personnel.
Read the book if you do no know about the upheaval of illegal immigrants in the United States. If you are okay to read some really sad stories, this book is for you. Else, just be happy in being ignorant about it.
June 14, 2016
Interesting book about illegal immigration and the way it affects the lives of those who cross the border in Arizona. I liked it very much, but it was almost more like a series of essays. Each chapter revolved around one type of problem. I enjoyed particularly the ones addressing the problems obtaining medical care and attending college as the child of an illegal immigrant. I did not care for the one about the radio station. Most chapters rarely referenced any of the prior chapters and probably each could have stood on its own as in depth magazine piece. I think the author writes for magazines and newspapers so that is actually not a surprise.
May 15, 2013
The great thing about this book is the use of in-depth interviews with undocumented immigrants living in Phoenix. It helps you see the issue from their eyes, and understand their motivations for coming to Phoenix, and the complications involved in both staying and leaving. It presents a variety of different immigrant life experiences - from working-class families and dairy farm workers, to church leaders, high-achieving college students, the LGBT, those struggling with terminal illness - and how their undocumented status makes all of these experiences difficult.
November 11, 2010
Interesting interviews with undocumented immigrants living in the Phoenix area, many of whom have been there for many years and have children who are citizens. 4 stars because this is a topic of great interest to me; might have been 3 stars if I were only mildly interested. The author's viewpoint is quite biased, which was fine for me because I agree with it, but might be off-putting for a reader who didn't.
January 15, 2016
Illegal is a 2010 collection of particularly relevant personal stories around the immigration debate. In trying to shape the debate Sterling draws the characters in the drama from the larger-than-life Sheriff Arpaio, an undocumented engineering student in college, and a gay man in the shadows. Sterling is a journalist with long roots in the border country with binational roots.
August 18, 2010
Interesting because of the people she interviews. I think that she inserts too much of her opinion on the subject, but it is her book and she can write what she wants. She is a professor here at ASU.
October 29, 2011
A very personal, intimate look at the immigration debate. Before reading this book, I felt more conflicted about this issue than any other that is currently being debated in this country, but now I feel much more confident both about my knowledge and my opinions.
January 8, 2016
I am from Calif close to the border so we have a lot of illegal immigrants there also. On a bus I had to show my drivers licence. Arizona is another border state that deal with this problem. It makes me feel bad that Mexico is so bad to live in they move here for a chance at life.
March 21, 2011
quite interesting and poignant
June 9, 2013
the pathos of The Grapes of Wrath with the quirky characters of Cannery Row. A must read; I could not put it down!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews