I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest
review from Harper Collins.
Today’s post is on The
Making of a Dream: How a group of young undocumented immigrants helped change
what it means to be American by Laura Wides-Munoz. It is 384 pages long and
is published by Harper Collins. The cover is blue like a passport or a visa. The
intended reader is someone who is interested in American history, immigration,
and how it is changing. There is no foul language, no sex, but violence is
talked about in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From of the back of the book- A journalist chronicles
the next chapter in civil rights—the story of a movement and a nation,
witnessed through the poignant and inspiring experiences of five young
undocumented activists who are transforming society’s attitudes toward one of
the most contentious political matters roiling America today: immigration.
They are called the DREAMers: young people who were brought, or sent, to the United States as children and who have lived for years in America without legal status. Growing up, they often worked hard in school, planned for college, only to learn they were, in the eyes of the United States government and many citizens, "illegal aliens."
Determined to take fate into their own hands, a group of these young undocumented immigrants risked their safety to "come out" about their status—sparking a transformative movement, engineering a seismic shift in public opinion on immigration, and inspiring other social movements across the country. Their quest for permanent legal protection under the so-called "Dream Act," stalled. But in 2012, the Obama administration issued a landmark, new immigration policy: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which has since protected more than half a million young immigrants from deportation even as efforts to install more expansive protections remain elusive.
The Making of a Dream begins at the turn of the millennium, with the first of a series of "Dream Act" proposals; follows the efforts of policy makers, activists, and undocumented immigrants themselves, and concludes with the 2016 presidential election and the first months of the Trump presidency. The immigrants’ coming of age stories intersect with the watershed political and economic events of the last two decades: 9/11, the recession, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Obama presidency, and the rebirth of the anti-immigrant right.
In telling their story, Laura Wides-Muñoz forces us to rethink our definition of what it means to be American.
They are called the DREAMers: young people who were brought, or sent, to the United States as children and who have lived for years in America without legal status. Growing up, they often worked hard in school, planned for college, only to learn they were, in the eyes of the United States government and many citizens, "illegal aliens."
Determined to take fate into their own hands, a group of these young undocumented immigrants risked their safety to "come out" about their status—sparking a transformative movement, engineering a seismic shift in public opinion on immigration, and inspiring other social movements across the country. Their quest for permanent legal protection under the so-called "Dream Act," stalled. But in 2012, the Obama administration issued a landmark, new immigration policy: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which has since protected more than half a million young immigrants from deportation even as efforts to install more expansive protections remain elusive.
The Making of a Dream begins at the turn of the millennium, with the first of a series of "Dream Act" proposals; follows the efforts of policy makers, activists, and undocumented immigrants themselves, and concludes with the 2016 presidential election and the first months of the Trump presidency. The immigrants’ coming of age stories intersect with the watershed political and economic events of the last two decades: 9/11, the recession, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Obama presidency, and the rebirth of the anti-immigrant right.
In telling their story, Laura Wides-Muñoz forces us to rethink our definition of what it means to be American.
Review- An in-depth review of the Dreamers and the ligation
around them. I knew very little about the Dreamers or the laws being made
around and for them. While I still believe there is more to know and
understand, now I think I have a grasp on who the Dreamers are and how they
are changing immigration in American. Wides-Muñoz tells the story from the
Dreamers themselves, she starts with their lives before they came to the USA,
at least what they can remember, and then she follows them for years. We get to
know some of the leaders of the Dreamers and see their lives as they live them.
I will warn the reader that the beginning section after the first chapter is
about immigration laws in the USA and how they changed or did not change; at
times it can be a little over whelming. The book works best when it is focusing
on the Dreamers, their lives, and families. When I was connecting with them,
the story just flowed but when we had to discuss laws or ligation, it was very
slow going. If you want to learn more about the kids who are caught in the
middle of this hard situation, then you should give this book a look.
I give this book a Four out of Five stars
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