Our Beckoning Borders

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up-A well-researched and sympathetically written study. Through personal accounts and interviews with illegal immigrants, border agents, and public officials, Ashabranner addresses the reasons behind this social phenomenon, the resulting problems, and the growing concerns of the American public. Historical background on immigration laws, trends in illegal immigration, and the influence of economic and political forces in other countries are clearly and succinctly presented. Although the main focus is on illegal entry from Mexico, the Caribbean, Asian countries, and Canada, the author also discusses the less publicized problem of immigrants with expired visas. Possible solutions are explored with an admonishment that public policies must not only deal with enforcement, but also must show understanding and compassion. Good-quality, black-and-white photographs illustrate this commendable presentation.-Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR

Hazel Rochman

Long before the present fury about illegal immigration, Ashabranner and Conklin's fine photo-essays, such as "The Vanishing Border" (1987), gave a human face to the so-called hordes entering the country without documentation. This book, too, combines heartfelt individual stories and photos with a general overview of who the illegals are, why they come ("they have nothing to lose" ), how great a problem they are, and why there is such ill-will against them. Since the scope is wide, including illegals from everywhere and telling how they come to all parts of the country, this can be only an introduction to the issues. The work of the border patrols is treated with respect and so are the efforts of the human rights movements. There is no rhetoric. Always we feel the tension between the logic of the law, the arbitrariness of borders, and the desperation of the person in search of home and work. Source note; general bibliography.

Kirkus Reviews

A balanced, factual discussion of the problem of illegal immigration to the US, in which Ashabranner (Still a Nation of Immigrants, 1993, etc.) focuses primarily on the Mexican border. The emphasis is warranted: A far greater number of illegals enter the US from Mexico than from Canada, and they enter not as individuals but in groups of up to 100 people. Ashabranner makes clear that this steady stream of people is a problem, calculating that California shoulders a cost for services to illegals that approaches $2 billion a year. He also puts illegal immigration in perspective, pointing out that other nations deal with refugees and those seeking opportunities unavailable in their native lands and that the number of newcomers to the US is not overwhelming. Included are stories of illegal immigrants, information about border guards, and the federal policy under which they do so. Ashabranner's comments about youthful illegals will be of particular interest to young readers; his is a levelheaded approach to an incendiary topic at a compact length.