The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio was a National Book Award Finalist and set out to tell the stories of the undocumented Americans who live and work around us everyday. Cornejo Villavicencio was on DACA, a graduate from Yale, when she decided to write about being undocumented and explores the lives of other undocumented people. From New York City and the undocumented workers who worked during the clean up at Ground Zero after 9/11 to Miami, as undocumented individuals must seek our herbs and potions as their only healthcare option to Flint, Michigan and the water crisis to Cleveland where immigrants seek sanctuary in churches to avoid deportation and Connecticut where she helps out immigrant families. Featuring stories of love, duty, family and survival, these immigrants come to America to flee war, oppression, and certain death. As she states in the Introduction, a book “for everybody who wants to step away from the buzzwords in immigration” and read about the people. Cornejo Villavicencio sets out to bring personal narratives to bring forth stories of resilience to understand what it means to be a stray, expendable, a hero, and an American.
I was intrigued by the premises of The Undocumented Americans, with high hopes. What I got was disappointment. I expected stories of the undocumented and what I read was more of a memoir of the author’s own experience as an undocumented and her journey interacting with the individuals for this book. Everything she discusses comes back to her own experiences, thoughts and feelings that leaves the other individuals’ stories by the wayside. It’s her accomplishments, like graduating from Yale, and her good deeds. Her commentary is frustrating and annoying as she uses insensitive phrases and excuses herself by saying, “it’s not racist when I say it.” And the profanity! WOW! Nonstop! She states that she doesn’t write from a place of anger, unfortunately, she fails. She sees microaggressions everywhere. At one point she complains that Mexicans have to dial 011 to call someone in Mexico. Doesn’t she realize that’s how international calls work? If I wanted to call someone outside the US, I would have to dial 011 too. I feel the stories and people she features get lost. This book was the opposite of what I thought it would be and I do not recommend The Undocumented Americans.
The Undocumented Americans is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.
The Last Tiara by MJ Rose is a story of mystery and discovery. In 1948, Isobelle Moon lost her mother, Sophia, when she was hit by a car as she stepped off the curb into the street. As she begins to renovate their apartment, she discovers her mother’s hidden treasures, a silver tiara without any jewels. Her mother refused to talk about her life in Russia before she immigrated to American after World War I. Isobelle begins to ask questions about the tiara and its ties to her mother, trying to unravel the mystery around it and her mother. Soon she meets Jules Reed, a jeweler who runs his grandfather’s jewelry shop. Together they begin to trace the tiara’s origins. Will Isobelle find the answers she’s looking for? Will she discover why her mother didn’t want to talk about her life before America? The story switches between Isobelle in 1948 and her mother in 1915 Russia as the two timelines reveal the horrors of World War I and the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution that drove Sophia to leave everything she had to come to America.
The Last Tiara is an interesting look at the stories of World War I in Russia. As most books featuring World War I focus on the stories of the English, Americans and even the French, they don’t really look at the other countries who fought in the war too. The tiara at the center of the story really did exist. It was a part of the Imperial Jewels of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, who were brutally murdered by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918. The tiara was photographed and cataloged in the 1920s but it has not been seen since. Where did it go? That’s the question Ms. Rose sets out to answer, creating a story of a mother escaping Russia and making a life with her daughter in America. Overall, I enjoyed The Last Tiara. It is a story of a mother and daughter and the mysteries behind. I enjoyed learning more about the Bolshevik Revolution and its impact on Russia and her people. I enjoyed as Isobelle discovered who her mother was before she was born and the pain she kept hidden. I recommend The Last Tiara.
The Last Tiara is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook
Finding Jesus at the Border: Opening Our Hearts to the
Stories of Our Immigrants Neighbors by Julia Lambert Fogg, a pastor and New
Testament scholar, is a personal observation of the immigrant situation in the
United States. It is a book which seeks to show American Christians what they
can do to help our immigrant neighbors. According to Fogg, it is not a book to
explain the complicated US immigration law and policy but to help readers to
understand how the experience of migration and border crossers reveals God’s
work in exciting and transformative ways. Using real immigration stories, Fogg
attempts to draw parallels with Jesus’s life and teachings and the immigrant’s
stories and attempts to put a human face on the immigration stories and debate.
Fogg argues that Christians need to step out of their comfort zones and learn
to cross the social, ethnic, and religious borders and encourages them to
become advocates in their own communities and be an example of Christ to the
DACA dreamers, asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants.
Finding Jesus at the Border is not the book I was
expecting. I am a little disappointed. I was excited and intrigued to read it,
but it quickly faded to disappointment with each chapter. I excited to read stories
from immigrants and while there were stories from a few immigrants, it felt
very flat. Fogg quickly focuses on the immigration issues and her biblical
interpretations are inconsistent, and at times, a stretch. Overall, this book
did not add anything new and basically calls for Christians to care for the
immigrants as individuals not just a number on the news. While she provides
names of organizations to get involved with, Fogg does not provide any contact
information for these groups such as websites. I appreciate Ms. Fogg’s passion
and concern for the immigrants who are coming to the US simply for a better
life and I agree that Christians need to be more involved because children of
God are involved; however, I feel she fells short in her goals. I do not
recommend Finding Jesus at the Border.
Finding Jesus at
the Border:
Opening Our Hearts
to the Stories of Our Immigrants Neighbors
The Exile by Gregory
Erich Phillips is the story of Leila del Sol, a young woman in Phoenix, Arizona
who came to the United States as a young girl, finds herself on a plane and
deported back to her native Colombia. The story opens with Leila on the plane,
scared and unsure of what she’s going to do when they land. Rewind to a time
when her life was good. She was a successful loan officer for a mortgage company
and the rising star for her boss, Samantha. At the company Christmas party, she
meets Ashford, Samantha’s son and there’s an instant connection but they keep
their distance. With time and chance meetings, Leila and Ashford fall in love,
but they must keep their relationship a secret because Samantha would not be
too happy. A series of events occur, and Leila is confused as to why she is picked
up and deported since she has a legal visa. Ashford is determined to find out
why and bring her home. Will Leila be able to come home? Will Ashford find her
in time?
The Exile was a
gripping drama featuring a very real issue of immigration. It is about love,
fear and hopes to find freedom at any cost. Mr. Phillips portrays the
complexity of the issue well in the character Samantha, who has no problem employing
minorities but when one wants to be involved with her son, it’s another matter.
Samantha was a good character to hate from the beginning as her prejudice becomes
more evident; however, another villainous character, I feel fell short of being
a character to fear. I knew Leila would be able to get away from this character
and he wasn’t an important issue to deal with than Leila trying to get home. I
recommend The Exile as a beautiful story
of love and sacrifice and where home really is.
This month’s study is on Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a prophet of
Israel who spoke about the coming judgment against the people of Israel and
their enemies. There is a promise to restore Israel to the land and restore the
covenant between the people and God. He prophesied during Israel’s exile in
Babylon. Normally I would discuss various points throughout the book. However,
this month I’m not going to do that. As I finished the book, one particular set
of verses stuck out. Even as I planned to write my thoughts as I normally would
do, this verse wouldn’t leave my head. So I decided to focus in these
particular verses and why it struck a cord with me.
Ezekiel 47:21-23
“’You are to
distribute this land among yourself according to the tribes of Israel.
You are to allot it
as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you
and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites;
along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of
Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his
inheritance,” declares the Sovereign Lord”
Foreigner. Alien. Essentially anyone who wasn’t an
Israelite. The Lord instructed the Israelites about foreigners before first in
Leviticus 24:22 “You are to have the same law for the alien and the
native-born. I am the Lord your God.” The Lord calls for foreigners to receive
the same treatment as the Israelites under the law. There would be no separate
law for the foreign born. It was the same law. So if a foreigner was wronged or
injured, he was to receive the same treatment as an Israelite would. Therefore,
“an eye for an eye” (Leviticus 24:20) apply to the foreigners as well. In
Numbers 15:29, the Lord instructed “One and the same law applies to everyone who
sins unintentionally, whether he is a native-born Israelite or an alien.” A
foreigner is allowed and required to offer the same atonement for their sins as
an Israelite. Again, no separate law.
God’s law covered Israelites and foreigners. Isaiah 56:3-8 teaches that God’s
blessings were for all people, including foreigners and eunuchs, who were
excluded from worship and treated as non-citizens to the Israelites. Isaiah
says that any foreigner who “bind themselves to the Lord to serve him” (verse
6), obeys God’s law, follows his Word, loves the Lord, God will gather them
together with “those already gathered” (verse 8).
In the New Testament, the distinction is Jew and Gentile.
There is the same call to gather together. Paul writes in Ephesian 3:6 “This mystery
is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members
together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus.”
This mystery is God’s plan to include everyone in his gift of salvation. I
believe this is what Isaiah talks about in Isaiah 56:3-8. Paul also writes in
Colossians 3:11 “Here this is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian [large group of Iranian Eurasian nomads], slave or free,
but Christ is all and is in all.” There should be no barriers of nationality,
race, education, social economic status, wealth, gender, religion or power when
it comes to the followers of Christ. Christ came to break down barriers. First
the barriers between God and the people and among the people themselves. We
have forgotten this or we have ignored it. We, unfortunately, continue to build
barriers. We still separate ourselves according to race, denomination,
traditions, creeds and practices. We claim to all be followers of Christ and
yet criticize others for their adherence to certain creeds or worship
practices.
So what’s the point? Why did Ezekiel 47:21-23 stick in my
head? The current climate about foreigners in this country has been on my mind
a lot lately. The anti-foreigner sentiment right now makes it hard to ignore.
I’m often torn about how I feel. On one hand, I feel and understand the need
for foreigners to come to this country. The colonies and then the United
States, has always been a beacon of hope for freedom, safety, and breathing room.
Multiple branches of my family have come from different parts of Europe at
different times for possibly the same reason. The United States has been a land
of great opportunity when none existed in their homeland. I want others to have
the same opportunity to come if they wish. On the other hand, I understand that
many who come to this country would come with ulterior motives. Whether it is
to perpetrate crimes or cause great harm to those who are trying to live
peacefully. The suspicion of foreigners is nothing new. Any time in history and
in any country, foreigners were looked at with distrust. The Lord commands the
Israelites to not mistreat or oppress a foreigner twice when Moses gave the law
(Exodus 22:21 and Exodus 23:9). So what do we do? I feel those who are here and
have built a life peacefully should be allowed to stay here without fear of
being sent back. We need to fix the immigration system, I recognize that, in
order to allow those who want to create a peaceful life here and, hopefully,
keep those who would not.
In conclusion, there is no easy answer to the immigration
issue. I know this and I can offer no solution. I believe all I can do is pray
that the individuals who are coming to the United States do so because they
want a better life and they learn to live peacefully with everyone here. I can
pray for protection from those who may come here with evil intentions. We need
to remember that not all foreigners are evil. Just like the story of the Good
Samaritan, even when a group as a whole is under suspicion or distrusted, there
are always exceptions. And just as stated in Ezekiel 47:21-23, when a foreigner
comes here and creates a life, we should treat them as any other citizen.
March is Irish-American Heritage Month. The Irish immigrated
to America in record numbers between the years of 1841-1860. Most Irish settled
in New York and Massachusetts but many major cities across the country saw an
increase in the Irish population. Most Irish faced great discrimination and
stereotypes. The thought of the day was since the Irish were descendants of the
Celts and not Anglo-Saxon, they were inferior. Many Irish-Americans have become
presidents and other government officials as well as others who aren’t so
famous but still helped build this great country. I have Irish ancestors
through my paternal grandmother’s mother. I decided to explore those roots a
little bit now that I have access to amazing databases as Ancestry.com and
FamilySearch.org. It’s been an interesting journey which started out as a
simple search and has opened up a whole new world of information.
Charles Edward Burns is my 2nd great grandfather.
He was born on August 23, 1869 in Oakland, California to Thomas and Ellen (nee
Clancey) Burns of Ireland. He was a musician and played the trombone. In the
1900 census, Charles was married to Elizabeth Burns with three sons: Charles,
Frank, and Thomas, and living in New York. By the 1910 census, he is married to
Margaret with two sons and two daughters and in living in Oakland. To imagine
in 10 years, he would lose his wife, Elizabeth and a son. I presume that Elizabeth
may have died after giving birth to their daughter, Elizabeth (born 1901). He
would marry Margaret on April 27, 1908 and have a second daughter, Lillian
(born 1909). Charles died on November 27, 1911 at the age of 42 due to
endocarditis (inflammation of inside lining of the heart chambers and heart
valves). The son I have been able to find records of is Frank who died May 7,
1950 in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I have not been able to find any record of what
happened to Charles’s other sons, Charles and Thomas, or his daughter,
Elizabeth. All three would disappear from the census records. What happened to
Charles’ other three children? I can only guess between 1900 and 1910, his
sons, Charles and Thomas, have died. By 1920, Elizabeth could have been married
or she, too, could have died.
While searching on FindAGrave.com, I found my great
grandparents, Joseph and Lillian Mingo’s grave sites, I discovered that they
had a fourth daughter named Virginia Lee. Baby Virginia was born on February
28, 1943 and died on April 4, 1943 at the age of 1 month and 6 days. She died
from an acute infectious meningitis as well as an unknown micro-organism
nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys). I have never heard about this sister.
I always thought my great grandparents only had three daughters. I searched
more into my great grandparents and I discovered that they were married on
August 17, 1927. Their first child, my grandmother, was born seven years later
in 1934. I was curious about the long time between marriage and first child. It
seemed a long time for that era to wait so long. I asked my grandmother if she
remembers if they talked about having problems having children. She told me
that she remembers that they did. It also makes sense since there is a gap
between the sisters. Their second daughter was born in 1938 and their third
daughter in 1940 and lastly the baby in 1943. With this new information, I
wonder if my fertility issues are contributed to by genetics, which makes sense
because everything is genetically linked. I feel a strange bond with my great
grandmother Lillian as she and I both share a struggle to have children. Even
though I never met Lillian as she died seven years before my birth, I feel a
stronger connection with her knowing that she felt the same pain of fertility
issues as well as losing a baby so tragically.
Although I wasn’t able to find more concrete information
about my ancestors’ lives in Ireland or their lives in America once they
arrived here, this journey has been eye opening. Through demographic
information, I can form an image of who these people were. Margaret left her
home in Ireland and made her way to America where she would meet her husband
and have a family. The marriage was a short one with Charles’ death after three
years of marriage. A simple search about my Irish heritage has led to amazing discoveries. I would encourage everyone to looking into their
family history. A great place to start is FamilySearch.org, a free site as well
as Ancestry.com which is a paid service although they do offer a 14-day free
trial. I also recommend FindAGrave.com. It is a site of gravesites about
information about the person and family histories have been added. I have found
so much information from this site alone. All you need is the person’s name and
approximate birth and death years. You never know what you might discover when
you all you have is simple information.
