Borderlands and the Mexican American story

Mexican Americans, Romo contends, "originally didn't cross the border--rather, the border crossed them." In this insightful overview of Mexican American history, part of the Race to the Truth series, the author focuses on the Native peoples of the borderlands and the migration between what is now Mexico and the U.S. for thousands of years. In the process, he explains how both Spanish and Anglo-American colonizers tried to stamp out Native identity and how U.S. history has reframed events rather than acknowledge that the creation of Texas was a violent land grab, as well as other painful truths. Readers will also discover equally agonizing facts, such as U.S. eugenic policies that targeted Mexican Americans and inspired Nazi Germany, which have been forgotten by many over time. Later chapters follow more recent history, from the Chicano Movement to the El Paso border as "ground zero" in a current war against immigration. Concluding chapter questions and interspersed archival photos and personal stories (many of young people) with direct quotes encourage thoughtful comprehension and analysis of the complex issues.

Gr 3--7--"Much of Mexican American history has been ignored or erased." Historian Dorado Romo's vital antidote is a brilliantly accessible, meticulously documented account, from 23,000-year-old North American footprints to present day, of a "forgotten people" who live between borders. Ironically, tragically, they "didn't cross the border--rather, the border crossed them": the Mexican American War's 1848 surrender treaty made the American Southwest the "largest violent land grab in the history of the United States," stealing over half of Mexican territory. Much of Mexican and American histories are inseparable: the first "illegal immigrants" were white people into Mexico, the mendacious Texas Creation Myth was a fight for slavery, Mexican Americans enabled the "other underground railroad," early 19th-century U.S. eugenics movements targeted Mexican Americans (forced sterilization, removal campaigns)--and galvanized Hitler. Recent Latina voice-of-choice Villareal is expertly cast, adroitly modulating her affecting presentation with impressive control. VERDICT An essential acquisition for every library in all media.

A thorough yet concise recounting of the ways the U.S./Mexico border has shaped how history has been told. The work opens 23,000 years ago, when North America was settled by its first people. This framing lays the foundation for the often overlooked fact that a steady stream of migration and trade has flowed back and forth between what is now the U.S. and Mexico long before the modern border existed, making the case that our histories are interwoven. For example, many Indigenous people in Mexico and the western U.S. speak Uto-Aztecan languages, including Nahuatl, Shoshone, Hopi, and Comanche. The book also informs readers about darker episodes, such as enslavement and policies based on eugenics. Romo celebrates lesser-known heroes, like the 19th-century Mexican American leader Juan Cortina, who helped defend the borderlands community from violent invaders, and he holds up for scrutiny harmful misinformation, such as the Texas Creation Myth, an incomplete narrative from an Anglo perspective that was long taught in schools. Text boxes titled "Let's Think About This" appear throughout this comprehensive history, posing questions for readers to ponder that encourage deeper thinking about historical biases. By the end, they'll understand how past events have led to the present-day situation at the border. The concise chapters are enhanced with photos and broken down into accessible chunks, making this a strong work for any student, teacher, or parent seeking an accurate, well-researched distillation of complex events. A powerful must-read for students of North American history. (Nonfiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.