BORDERLANDS

A volunteer at the United States-Mexico border shares her experiences in this debut memoir.

As Hansen’s train neared its destination of the El Paso train station in November 2019, it unexpectedly stopped for an hour, “with no explanation.” The author later found out that seven travelers aboard the train had been taken into custody, though no other details were provided. “Welcome to a new reality at the borderlands,” she remarks to herself in the book’s opening lines. A white woman and former interfaith chaplain at a trauma hospital in Detroit, Hansen was unsure of the forces that were pulling her to the border, but she was drawn to the Annunciation House. Initially funded by young, socially conscious Catholics in the 1970s, the organization is now an independent network of shelters for asylum seekers. Presented chronologically, from 2019 through 2023, the story opens with the author’s two-week orientation at a high-volume refugee center designed to handle hundreds of people a day (the strict expectations regarding volunteers included a six-day work week). The author notes that the homes within the Annunciation House network “are places of hospitality and grace, offering sanctuary and practical support for people from outside the United States” while also emphasizing the ways in which U.S. policies are responsible for fueling the migration crisis in the first place. The book’s engrossing narrative details the web of organizations and activists that serve some of the nation’s most vulnerable people; readers meet figures like Ignacio Torres, a Nahual community leader who works to preserve their indigenous culture. The work is grounded in sound research, as reflected by the endnotes and bibliography, but what makes it special is Hansen’s nuanced, empathetic writing style. The author sensitively recommends more thoughtful ways to discuss the topic, arguing that we should avoid labeling people as “migrants” or “aliens” and reserve labels for describing situations rather than people. Her engaging text is supplemented by a wealth of maps, photographs, and other visual aids that contribute to its accessibility.

An empathetic and often poignant reflection on the American border crisis.