ANAY’S WILL TO LEARN: A WOMAN’S EDUCATION IN THE SHADOW OF THE MAQUILADORA
Winner National Press Women’s First Place Biography 2014
Border Book Award for Literary Excellence and Enrichment of Southwest Heritage
New Mexico Press Wome’s First Place Biography
Ciudad Juárez no longer wears the title of the most violent city in the world. Things are calming down. But what was it like to be a woman living in the low income neighborhoods in the city during those violent times? Anay Carrillo, a young woman working in the foreign factories (maquiladoras), is our gracious guide to her life — just a few steps over a dry river into the vastly unfamiliar.
COPPER STAIN: ASARCO’S LEGACY IN EL PASO
Copper Stain: ASARCO’s Legacy in El Paso, based in nearly 100 interviews with ex-employees and others involved in the smelter’s demise, is filled with stories of horror, humor, courage and sorrow documenting the grim reality of laboring under giant machines and lava-spewing furnaces while turning mountains of rock into copper ingots. It exposes the political tug-of-war between industry’s demands for profit and government’s obligation to protect the health of its people and the environment. Local authors, Elaine Hampton (UTEP) and Cynthia Ontiveros (EPISD) weave the stories and archival evidence into an important and intriguing part of the area’s history.
Seekers of a Stable Sky: Stories of Altruism and Immigration on the Mexican Border.
Hiding under the heavily reinforced U.S.-Mexico borderline is a gentle counter power led by women who have been wounded, crossed the border illegally, fought for their families, and endured social and economic exploitation. These are our global neighbors managing stressful environments and creating unique community collaborations that bring stability under their restless sky.
This authentic insight into the often-misrepresented immigrant narrative highlights the personal sphere of the immigration seeker and exposes the impact of Trump-era immigration policies in the borderlands.
