Synopses & Reviews
A fascinating and revealing look at the United States' largest, most controversial group of immigrants, by Mexico's former foreign minister.
In the wake of the massive, nationwide rally in support of immigrant rights in May 2006, which drew a record number of participants, one thing has become clear: in the United States today, no domestic issue sparks as much public debate or is as politicized as immigration, with the spotlight focused on Mexican immigrants above all others.
In Ex Mex, former Mexican foreign minister and well-known scholar Jorge G. Castaneda draws on his experience in both capacities to dispel some of the most widely held and mistaken ideas about the United States' largest immigrant population. Through Castaneda, we learn who the newest generation of immigrants from Mexico is, why they've chosen to live in the United States, where they work, and what they ultimately hope to achieve. Castaneda also offers an insider's account of the intricate and secret negotiations that took place between Mexico and the United States in 2001-2--contradicting some of the official versions published here--and the unilateral actions that were taken by his government to improve the conditions of Mexican migrants when talks between the two countries became stalemated.
This timely and authoritative book will be required reading for the debates about immigration that will soon be part of the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
Review
"A straightforward, useful guide to the two countries’ complex and sometimes surprising history of labor exchange." —
Business Week "Castañeda removes the shrillness from the immigration debate. His calming argument merits an audience, especially among the fence-builders in Congress." —Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Former Mexican foreign minister and well-known scholar Castaneda draws on his experiences to dispel some of the most widely held and mistaken ideas about the United States largest immigrant population.
Synopsis
From the massive nationwide rally in support of immigrant rights in May 2006 to protests against the increasingly frequent immigration raids across the country, the public debate on immigration reform has largely centered on Mexican immigrants. Yet, in the United States, we rarely hear the Mexican perspective on the issue.
In “portraits that defy American stereotypes of who is a Mexican immigrant” (Booklist), former Mexican foreign minister and eminent scholar Jorge G. Castañeda describes just who makes up the newest generation of immigrants from Mexico, why they have chosen to live in the United States, where they work, and what they ultimately hope to achieve. Drawing on his wide-ranging experience, Casteñeda examines the century-long historical background behind the labor exchange between Mexico and the United States, while offering an insider’s account of the official conversations and secret negotiations between the two countries in recent years.
Both authoritative and timely, Ex Mex is essential reading for all who want to make sense of the complex issue of immigration.
About the Author
Jorge G. Castañeda is a Mexican politician and academic who served as Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs from 2000 to 2003. He worked as a professor at several universities, including the National Autonomous University of Mexico; the University of California, Berkeley; Princeton University; New York University; and the University of Cambridge. He has authored more than a dozen books, including
Ex Mex: From Migrants to Immigrants,
The Mexican Shock: Its Meaning for the United States, and
Perpetuating Power: How Mexican Presidents Were Chosen, all published by The New Press. Castañeda regularly contributes to newspapers such as
Reforma (Mexico),
El País (Spain), the
Los Angeles Times, and
Newsweek.