The Line Becomes a RiverBy Francisco Cantú
Riverhead Books, 2018. 250 pages.
Francisco Cantú crew up in the American Southwest, the grandson of Mexican immigrants. For Cantú, the US/Mexican border formed and defined his existence. In an effort to better understand the border, Cantú joins the Border Patrol. During his years as an agent, he encounters drug smugglers and criminals, but is surprised by the shear amount of immigrants just looking for a better life. Eventually, plagued by nightmares of violence and haunted by the indifference to human life he encountered as an agent, Cantú quits the Patrol. But when a close friend travels to Mexico and is stopped at the border trying to re-enter, Cantú comes face-to-face with devastating effects that the border has on families.
Coincidentally, I finished this book just as reports flooded the news about our government’s Zero Tolerance policy wreaking havoc on immigrant families at the border. Regardless of one’s feelings on illegal immigration, this book is a must read. Cantú’s portrayal of our system’s callous approach to human life is a wakeup call that cannot, and should not, be ignored.
ALL
1 comment:
After completing his degree, Francisco Cantu joined the Border Patrol in order to better understand the border and the issues surrounding it. He describes his experiences and stories from those he works with, some shocking and some tragic. This is a moving and intimate look at issues currently plaguing our country, and shows perspectives from both border patrol agents as well as those trying to emigrate. While it provides no answers, it will certainly provide further insight into the human stories of the border, as well as convey the urgency of the need for resolutions to problems plaguing all those involved.
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