This personal perspective from a human rights lawyer—whose work on the front lines of the fight against family separations in South Texas intertwines with his own story of immigrating to the United States at thirteen—reframes the United States' history as a nation of immigrants but also a nation against immigrants.
... a heartfelt first-person exposé of America’s broken immigration system ... Especially moving is the story of a father forced to take a DNA test to prove that his little daughter was truly his. The author’s compassion is clear, though autobiographical elements can dampen these stories’ moral urgency, and the two halves of his narrative do not always cohere ... Readers will appreciate this memoir as a moving firsthand account but also as a call to action to ensure that human rights prevail at America’s borders.
Olivares describes his clients’ heart-wrenching stories alongside his own history as a young immigrant from Mexico, following his father to Texas. Part memoir, part exploration of the racism inherent in U.S. immigration policy, and part tribute to the families who have suffered at the hands of the U.S. government, My Boy Will Die of Sorrow is a thought-provoking look at the soul of the United States.
A powerful mix of human rights memoir and examination of America’s flawed immigration policies ... A mixture of poignant legal insight, vivid hometown familiarity, and personal struggle, his account includes interviews with immigrants alongside analyses of complicated legal processes and a history of the southern border ... touching and often heartbreaking sections ... A harrowing firsthand account of inhumane immigration policies with which we all must come to terms.
