Customer Reviews

Dying to Live: A Story of U.S. Immigration in an Age of Global Apartheid (City Lights Open Media)

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I've read a few of this author's books, and so far I'd say this one was my favorite. The book is very well put together, with chapters on the discovery of Julio Gallegos' body after he'd tried to cross the border into the U.S.; then a history of the Imperial Valley; a history of the border buildup; a vivid description of what life has been and is like in Juchipila, Mexico (where Gallegos was born); and a final chapter that shows the connection between the border and the continued needless suffering of those trying to escape poverty and find a better life elsewhere.

Throughout the book we learn of personal details of Gallegos' life, and that of his family who remain behind. After reading this book, it would be hard for anyone to hear of stories of immigrant deaths (while attempting to cross the U.S./Mexico border), and not feel like they may "know" these people a bit better...that they aren't so different from you and I.

The outstanding photos by Mizue Aizeki were a perfect complement to the text, and felt very personal and intimate.

I highly recommend this book!!!

I was quite impressed by the thorough piece of work that is Joe Nevins's earlier "Operation Gatekeeper." This book, however, provides a more concrete human connection by complementing the meticulously documented history of Mexican immigration to the U.S. and racist legal and extra-legal harassment of same(which calls to mind the Latino power slogan "I didn't cross the border, the border crossed me") with the tragic story of one hard-working family man who died in the California desert trying to reach his loved ones.

The powerful text is complemented by heart-wrenching photos by Mizue Aizeki. This book is the perfect antidote to the disgusting scapegoating of immigrants which predominates on US hate radio. It artfully shows the importance of solidarity with the poor populations who are paying the price for corporate profiteering in the age of NAFTA.

First of all, the title is misleading, there exists also legal immigration (equally tragic and merciless but the book doesn't cover this subject), so, the book is not about US Immigration but about an aspect of US Immigration. The book talks about undocumented immigrants from Mexico (but there are many undocumented immigrants from many other countries).
I loved the photographs. As far as the text is concerned, I have a strange feeling that anybody with an access to the internet and some money to travel can write such a book. It reads like a textbook, with the elements of Julio's tragic story inserted here and there. Is that a reworking of the good professor's textbook from his college? Some fragments of this book read indeed like a textbook - why is Los Angeles called Los Angeles, or why was there a war between the US and Mexico? Why Mexican people use the word "Don" before someone's first name...Thank God we are not told that the language of Mexico is Spanish.
Anyway, what is missing is a practical advise, what to do, how to help. Abolishing national borders is not a practical solution. Obviously undocumented immigrants will probably not want to go through legalizing their stay - if at all possible it is very costly and will take another 20 years of their life. There is just not a word of advice in this book and I thought the information that the professor collected is widely known to everybody.
Academic writers should be the people with a real solid vision for a better world, not a just a good background of knowledge about racism, class warfare, history and geography.. All we get from that book are appeals to the brotherhood of man, delivered in a generally "lamenting" tone. The absence of advice and conclusion is almost as upsetting as the tragedy of the story.

With the recent debates about immigration in the news, I felt compelled to get a good handle on the topic. This book is well-written, and also features amazing photography to illustrate the points. I got a comprehensive overview of the history of immigration enforcement (including the build up of the U.S.-Mexico boundary, and the struggle of those who risk their lives to cross). Not heavy-handed, but touching ... a great read.

This is a story about a young Mexican (23) who dies (with six others) of dehydration crossing into the U.S. to rejoin his family. It's tragic that anyone dies attempting to cross into the U.S.

On the other hand, the U.S. cannot absorb all those who want to enter - better we focus on eliminating agricultural subsidies that, via NAFTA, drive so many Mexicans northward, and helping Mexico improve its own economy.

Julio shares responsibility for attempting this arduous and dangerous journey when it was not necessary (he had returned to Mexico for "family business"; at the very least, he might have arranged a safer (probably more expensive) passage (though he was caught 4 times previously in a sudden surge of enforcement). Better yet, Julio could have become a U.S. citizen like his half-brother.

Then there is the U.S. hypocrisy of extensive border enforcement, but little enforcement at employer sites. As for the author's allegation that those with money suffer less enforcement - a Phoenix-area resident (former Miss Bolivia) living in a $10 million home was recently expelled for being an illegal.

Finally, don't forget the "coyotes" responsibility also.

Bottom Line: Yes, this was a tragedy that shouldn't have happened. However, the U.S. cannot absorb and overcome all the world's problems. Lately, we cannot even take care of American citizens - lack of health care for the uninsured, health care costs/capita about 2X that of other developed countries, lost jobs, pensions, homes, and savings, inadequate education, education costs/pupil about 2X those of other developed nations, military costs/GNP about 2X that of other developed nations, failure to adequately address global warming, very high drug use, world's highest incarceration rate, etc.

On August 13th 1998 the Border Patrol found 23 year old Julio César Gallegos' body in California's Imperial Valley, still clutching a photograph of his 2-year-old son who awaited him in Los Angeles. In a powerful book fusing elements of photojournalism, history and social criticism, Nivens and Aizeki trace Julio's story through the politically charged geographies of the Imperial Valley, Zacatecas and Los Angeles. Nivens demonstrates the violent impact of an increasingly militarized border on numerous locations in Mexico and the US, and on the web of human lives that stretch between them. As a diligent investigation of changes in US immigration policy since this country's founding, this book could offer much to American history or government classes. Aizeki's artful photographs lend specificity and emotional charge to Nivens' demand for immigration policies which better reflect our society's commitment to human rights.

Illegal immigration has become one of the intensely controversial social issues of our day. What are the side effects of the United States' stern position on Mexican immigration? "Dying to Live: A Story of U.S. Immigration In an Age of Global Apartheid" is a definitive criticism by author Joseph Nevins of the U.S.'s practices on immigration today. Following the story of Julio Cesar Gallegos, a man who died crossing the border to try to reach his wife and son, it's an eye opening account of immigration that is judicially defined as illegal -- and the cruelty that sometimes lies within. Discussing human rights and homeland security as well, "Dying to Live" is a deftly written treatise on immigration, a must to those who want to further understand the subject.