The Other Face of America
Jorge Ramos, the OG from Noticiero Univision, documents the tales of various immigrants that come to
this country. Each chapter focuses on a certain person or family, where they're from, why they came to the US,
what troubles they have faced, and what they believe the future holds for them. This book is meant to give
you a close and personal look at the lives of a usually face-less group: The Latino immigrant.
The book starts off with Ramos on the Mexican side of the border, as people gather and wait for the perfect opportunity to make the cross. First-hand he experiences the atmosphere and the desperation of an immigrant that's ready to change his life, as he himself crosses the border. The amount of people that cross in this area every night is so great that various people make a living from selling tacos and hot chocolate here.
In addition to these tales, Ramos also examines the "Latinazation" of this country. How Hispanics have become such a large consumer group, one that can no longer be ignored. He also gives us a look at the future of the Spanish language in this country, as well as the reason for low voting numbers among Latinos.
An examination of social perception of the Latino serves as a backdrop in this book. Ramos points out that there's currently immigrant-intolerance, that immigration levels are said to be at an all-time high and "out of control." He's quick to point out that immigration levels are at about 11%, whereas in the early 1900s they were up to 14%. Ramos makes a point that the immigrants coming into this country in the early 1900s where largely of European descent, therefore more tolerable in the public eye.
My Experience
This book was such an easy read that I finished it in a matter of days. It's very well written, and it just flows from story to story, topic to topic. It's not so much an examination of immigrants, but a closer look at an individual's life. That's what Jorge intended this to be: a chance to personify and humanize the Latino immigrant. He did a very good job.
There are stories ranging from people working in factories at sub-par wages, to nannies taking care of white children. Those stories are interesting, which he points out that since these kids were raised by a Latina woman while their parents are at work, there's a cultural influence by the food they're prepared and the Spanish they will inevitably learn.
There's a lot of good in this book, but there were a couple of things that I didn't like. For one, the largest section of this book has to do with the focus on the political conflict that came from the Elian Gonzalez situation. Ramos tries to make a case for the Cuban point of view of this situation, providing a step by step account of how the events unfolded. Admittedly, I was one of the people that turned on the TV during that time and groaned whenever I saw that kid's picture all over TV. I was sick of it. Ramos illustrates how during this time there was an anti-Cuban sentiment from people, and an overall lack of interest in this case. This part of the book did open my eyes a little on the subject, and I now see the point he was making. Yet overall I feel that compared to the rest of the book, this was really overkill. Too much time and effort went into this section, and I feel that it could have been trimmed down considerably.
Another thing that becomes apparent after a few chapters is Jorge's view on the border control situation, and he advocates an open-border policy and immediate legalization of all immigrants currently in the USA. That's a little extreme for me, it's more of an ideal solution but not a practical one. Personally, I feel that there should be some sort of guest-worker program with a path to citizenship, but who am I? Anyway, Ramos lays out his view on this situation and the eventual Latino majority in the population... and reiterates it a little too much.
There's some cool stuff in here, like in the later chapters where he declares his love of soccer (futbol) and watching it in Spanish.... and the horror of watching it in English. He said something like "in English they spend their time making unnecessary comments like how you must manuever the ball without using your hands, all in a monotone voice. It sounds like they are commentating on a funeral." Haha. Another cool part is his surprising embrace of Spanglish. He sees it as a good thing, a healthy evolution and fusion of two languages.
This is one of my favorite cultural books that I've read, and has furthered my respect that I have for Jorge Ramos. I can honestly recommend this to you guys, and am sure that you'll be satisfied. I lost my copy, so now I feel like I have to buy a replacement. That should tell you something.
