A generous, if flawed, survey of a complex, knotty issue.
An examination of the humanitarian crisis at the U.S.–Mexico border.
Divided into four chapters, with plentiful color images and informative sidebars, this broad dive into recent immigration issues looks at Latin American migrants who risk everything in an attempt to start over in the U.S. and the Trump administration’s efforts to curb and deter the flow of refugees. Readers first learn about the much publicized 2018 migrant caravan from Central America: Hondurans and others braved a dangerous journey to the border near Tijuana in search of asylum in the U.S. and an escape from the violence ravaging Central America. The sheer size of the migrant caravan led to the failure of an ill-equipped U.S. response that exposed an aggressive anti-immigration agenda, exemplified by President Donald Trump’s zero tolerance policy and the administration’s subsequent response to the widespread backlash against the separation of parents and children. Despite the comprehensive inclusion of differing perspectives, including an enlightening passage by an immigration judge, the author falls short of condemning the Trump administration’s policies, possibly normalizing some of the rhetoric coming out of the White House. This accessible overview excels by dedicating space for words from migrants, refugees, and Dreamers stuck in a stifling bureaucratic limbo. A final chapter on potential paths for change offers some glimmer of hope.
A generous, if flawed, survey of a complex, knotty issue. (source notes, resources, further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 14-19)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68282-737-6
Page Count: 80
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: June 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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