BOOK: Neglected By Two Countries: Young Voices of the American Dream “In Neglected by Two Countries, Marie Elena Cortes brings to our attention the voices of children who are at the center of debate of a nation at the crossroads. At this crossroads, we have the choice to hear their voices and rebuild the legacy of a United States that welcomes and values those who are eager to contribute to a great nation, rather than build the walls that divide and demean us all.” Mark Lacy, Executive Director, Houston Institute for Culture
“Over 25% of all students in the USA are Latinos ~ yet less than 2% of children’s books are written by Latinos. We need more authors with the compassion and insights of Marie Elena Cortés” Magdalena Gonzalez Whisler, Teacher
“Ms. Cortés has always been a teacher who truly cares about her students. She is the kind of teacher you keep in your heart after the years pass by. Please read her book carefully and help modernize the immigration rules.” Luis 16 years old student
“Inspiring book, simple to read and powerful enough to make you think about an issue that’s affecting so many innocent children in the U.S.A.” Mary Ann Herrera, Teacher
“This book deals with a vital issue facing the United States today. How can we deal fairly and justly with millions of workers that have come to live and work here without legal immigration status. Most of these immigrants come from Latin America with 80% from Mexico. In time with children born here, they now number ten to fifteen million.
Immigration policy became a major issue during the 1912 national presidential election, and most candidates have competed for being “tough” on undocumented workers, calling them pejorative names, like “illegal Aliens”. Falling into this vast group were their children who by birth are American citizens. Fear and animosity for undocumented workers have been extended to their children, promoting some proposals to change the American constitution to remove the citizenship right of these children.
In an effort to answer critics of immigration policies the President Obama administration has stepped up border controls, and deportations orders have increased to the point that courts are over-loaded with many thousands of cases to process. President Obama ordered the Attorney General to institute a legal practice of “prosecutorial discretion”, placing priority on undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Others would have their deportations delayed.
In the midst of this new stage of dealing with undocumented immigration, children of immigrants have become casualties. This book documents cases that cry out for justice and humanity. American citizens should not permit these injustices to continue.
My family had a personal experience with the immigration policy in our “land of immigrants.” I was one of eight children born to parents that fled Zacatecas, Mexico, when the Mexican Revolution tore their region apart. The U.S. border was open then because Mexican labor was much needed. The Great Depression of the 1930’s changed all that. With many millions unemployed, foreigners were a problem. The federal government set up the Repatriation Program that set out to deport hundreds of thousands of Mexican immigrants, and their children born here.
The Nava family was on their way to the Los Angeles depot for deportation when seven year old Julian became ill. Fortunately, the family stopped at the country hospital to check on the little boy, since the next train stop was to be six hour away. Within thirty minutes, little Julian was on an operating table for a ruptured appendix. The recuperation was slow and the family went back to the Mexican barrio of East Los Angeles, broken financially.
Like millions of others the Nava family survived the depression on federal relief food. Although poor financially, the family was rich in solidarity. When Pearl Harbor took place three Nava brothers volunteered to fight in turn, two in the navy and one in the Army. They were loyal American, in spite of the repatriation attempt. In time one of the Nava boys was elected to public office and later appointed as US Ambassador. There may be other “Julians” among the children of undocumented Mexican workers. Intelligence, self-interest and fairness calls for our country to stop the abuse depicted in Marie Elena’s book.” Ambassador Julian Nava . . “In Neglected by Two Countries, Marie Elena Cortes brings to our attention the voices of children who are at the center of debate of a nation at the crossroads. At this crossroads, we have the choice to hear their voices and rebuild the legacy of a United States that welcomes and values those who are eager to contribute to a great nation, rather than build the walls that divide and demean us all.” Mark Lacy, Executive Director, Houston Institute for Culture
“Over 25% of all students in the USA are Latinos ~ yet less than 2% of children’s books are written by Latinos. We need more authors with the compassion and insights of Marie Elena Cortés” Magdalena Gonzalez Whisler, Teacher
“Ms. Cortés has always been a teacher who truly cares about her students. She is the kind of teacher you keep in your heart after the years pass by. Please read her book carefully and help modernize the immigration rules.” Luis 16 years old student
“Inspiring book, simple to read and powerful enough to make you think about an issue that’s affecting so many innocent children in the U.S.A.” Mary Ann Herrera, Teacher
“This book deals with a vital issue facing the United States today. How can we deal fairly and justly with millions of workers that have come to live and work here without legal immigration status. Most of these immigrants come from Latin America with 80% from Mexico. In time with children born here, they now number ten to fifteen million.
Immigration policy became a major issue during the 1912 national presidential election, and most candidates have competed for being “tough” on undocumented workers, calling them pejorative names, like “illegal Aliens”. Falling into this vast group were their children who by birth are American citizens. Fear and animosity for undocumented workers have been extended to their children, promoting some proposals to change the American constitution to remove the citizenship right of these children.
In an effort to answer critics of immigration policies the President Obama administration has stepped up border controls, and deportations orders have increased to the point that courts are over-loaded with many thousands of cases to process. President Obama ordered the Attorney General to institute a legal practice of “prosecutorial discretion”, placing priority on undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Others would have their deportations delayed.
In the midst of this new stage of dealing with undocumented immigration, children of immigrants have become casualties. This book documents cases that cry out for justice and humanity. American citizens should not permit these injustices to continue.
My family had a personal experience with the immigration policy in our “land of immigrants.” I was one of eight children born to parents that fled Zacatecas, Mexico, when the Mexican Revolution tore their region apart. The U.S. border was open then because Mexican labor was much needed. The Great Depression of the 1930’s changed all that. With many millions unemployed, foreigners were a problem. The federal government set up the Repatriation Program that set out to deport hundreds of thousands of Mexican immigrants, and their children born here.
The Nava family was on their way to the Los Angeles depot for deportation when seven year old Julian became ill. Fortunately, the family stopped at the country hospital to check on the little boy, since the next train stop was to be six hour away. Within thirty minutes, little Julian was on an operating table for a ruptured appendix. The recuperation was slow and the family went back to the Mexican barrio of East Los Angeles, broken financially.
Like millions of others the Nava family survived the depression on federal relief food. Although poor financially, the family was rich in solidarity. When Pearl Harbor took place three Nava brothers volunteered to fight in turn, two in the navy and one in the Army. They were loyal American, in spite of the repatriation attempt. In time one of the Nava boys was elected to public office and later appointed as US Ambassador. There may be other “Julians” among the children of undocumented Mexican workers. Intelligence, self-interest and fairness calls for our country to stop the abuse depicted in Marie Elena’s book.” Ambassador Julian Nava .
