Killing the American Dream: How Anti-Immigration Extremists Are Destroying the Nation

America’s treatment of the issue of illegal immigration is profoundly dysfunctional, argues Marrero. A journalist for the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinión, she examines the plight of undocumented workers looking to make a life for themselves in an increasingly nativist political culture. While illegal immigration is often constructed as a scapegoat for the ills of recession-era America, Marrero shows the issue to be far more complex. States depend on the labor and economic contributions of a growing population of undocumented workers, yet enact increasingly oppressive laws designed to make daily life for them unbearable, while the federal government expands an expensive program of deportation that disproportionately affects Latinos even as their votes become more important. Investigating small towns undergoing demographic shifts, corporations profiting from increased immigrant detention, and the unique difficulties faced by the children of illegal immigrants, Marrero makes a convincing case that America’s success in the 21st century depends on abandoning political posturing in favor of coherent national policy. Agent: Diane Stockwell, Globos Libros Literary. (Oct.)