Mexican immigration has become one of the most polarizing issues of Bush's second term and will remain a central issue in the coming years. Where once Mexicans had a sizable presence in a few select states like California, Texas, Arizona, and New York, today the fastest growing populations are in places like North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, and Tennessee. Seemingly overnight, Americans across the country are finding their new neighbors to have names like Gonzalez, Paulino, Ramon, and Aguilar. What motivates people to risk their very lives and head north, and why don't Mexicans just "play by the rules" and enter legally? How do they cope, living in a strange country among people that speak a language they can't understand? There's No Jose Here follows the lives of Mexicans in the US and allows them to speak in their own words. Throughout, the central narrative follows the engaging figure of Enrique, a thirty-four-year-old livery cab driver who came to the US illegally at the age of sixteen and has since seen his daughter lead poisoned, his mother abandoned in Mexico by his father, his cousin murdered on the streets of Brooklyn, and his best friend deployed to Iraq. Thompson has crafted a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of immigrants we know little about. Going beyond the talk-show bluster, readers witness the harrowing, inspiring. depressing, and complicated stories as people struggle to survive in a new and often hostile land.

"The pro-immigration rallies throughout the United States in March 2006 brought attention to a rarely heard voice in the debate: the immigrant. Journalist and former community organizer Thompson puts several of these unheard voices on record, writing an intimate and emotional portrait of a Mexican family he befriended in Brooklyn. The book follows the lives of Enrique, a 34-year-old livery cab driver, and his family, whom Thompson meets while working as a housing rights organizer. Thompson's authentic friendship with Enrique is evident, giving the book a more personal tone than most immigration writing by outsiders. In fact, the book is as much about Thompson's desire for understanding as it is about Enrique's struggles with his daughter's lead poisoning, his best friend's deployment to Iraq, his cousin's murder in Brooklyn and family drama in Mexico. Their engaging and affectionate story begins in the housing courts of New York City and ends in Mexico, where Enrique, now a legal U.S. citizen, confronts his conflicted feelings about his native land. While Thompson successfully engages the reader in a single immigrant's experience and psychology, he doesn't draw any larger societal conclusions." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"The pro-immigration rallies throughout the United States in March 2006 brought attention to a rarely heard voice in the debate: the immigrant. Journalist and former community organizer Thompson puts several of these unheard voices on record, writing an intimate and emotional portrait of a Mexican family he befriended in Brooklyn. The book follows the lives of Enrique, a 34-year-old livery cab driver, and his family, whom Thompson meets while working as a housing rights organizer. Thompson's authentic friendship with Enrique is evident, giving the book a more personal tone than most immigration writing by outsiders. In fact, the book is as much about Thompson's desire for understanding as it is about Enrique's struggles with his daughter's lead poisoning, his best friend's deployment to Iraq, his cousin's murder in Brooklyn and family drama in Mexico. Their engaging and affectionate story begins in the housing courts of New York City and ends in Mexico, where Enrique, now a legal U.S. citizen, confronts his conflicted feelings about his native land. While Thompson successfully engages the reader in a single immigrant's experience and psychology, he doesn't draw any larger societal conclusions." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Thompson's enlightening chronicle provides a realistic and unbiased look at many facets of the increasingly debated issues pertaining to immigrants' lives." Booklist

Gabriel Thompson has written for many publications including The Nation, New York magazine, In These Times, Brooklyn Rail, and Our Time Press. His organizing activities have been featured in the New York Times, Daily News, Village Voice, and many other media outlets. Thompson is a seasoned public speaker who has led workshops on immigration across the country. He lives in New York City.