BORDERLANDS AND THE MEXICAN AMERICAN STORY (Race to the Truth), by David Dorado Romo, Crown Books for Young Readers, Aug. 20, 2024, Paperback, $8.99 (ages 10 and up)
Learn the story of our country from the Mexican American perspective in Borderlands and the Mexican American Story, by David Dorado Romo.
The Mexican American story is usually carefully presented as a story of immigrants: migrants crossing borders, drawn to the promise of a better life. In reality, Mexicans were on this land long before any borders existed. Their culture and practices shaped the Southwestern part of this country, in spite of relentless attempts by white colonizers and settlers to erase them.
From missions and the Alamo to muralists, revolutionaries, and teen activists, this is the true story of the Mexican American experience. —Synopsis provided by Crown Books for Young Readers
More often than not, American history is told through a “white” lens. The problem is, America is not just a white country. It’s a blend of peoples and cultures of diverse skin tones, and by ignoring the past, it’s hard to understand the struggles of today.
Borderlands and the Mexican Story is part of Crown Books for Young Readers’ excellent Race to the Truth series. The series “Tells the true history of America from the perspective of different communities. Each book tells the story of our country from its very beginning to present. These books correct common falsehoods and achievements. They encourage readers to ask questions and approach new information thoughtfully.” Other books in the series include Exclusion and the Chinese American Story; Colonization and the Wampanoag Story; and Slavery and the African American Story.
Author David Dorado Romo grew up and lived on the border between the US and Mexico. This provided him with a first-hand perspective when writing Borderlands and the Mexican Story. The book begins with native migrations before there were borders and moves through Spanish colonization in the Southwest and the Mexican American War. Romo focuses on the Mexican Revolution and the ethnic cleansing of brown America. Following WWII came the rise of the Chicano movement and the Hispanic decade before more recent issues surrounding the border.
Borderlands and the Mexican Story is expertly researched. Romo’s writing is clear and accessible. And black-and white images as well as information boxes help break up the text. This book would make an excellent supplement for public or homeschool classes.
About the author:
David Dorado Romo is a writer, translator, musician, and historian from the American southwest. He is a “fronterizo,” a person who grew up and lived on the border between the United States and Mexico. Steeped in the fronterizo spirit that strongly defines the attitudes of the U.S.-Mexico border region, Romo conducted a four-year search to document the important history of the area. The book that resulted from his work, Ringside Seat to a Revolution: An Underground Cultural History of ElPaso and Juarez, 1893-1923, “is a vital historical work for the Southwest,” commented Sergio Troncoso in the El Paso Times.
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