June 15, 2022
A genuine and authentic memoir from an award-winning journalist and activist. Before it became one of the largest cities in the world, Mexico City was Hinojosa's hometown. She was born in 1961, and even though her family immigrated to the U.S. only a year later, she paints a vivid and affectionate picture of the place, from the sensory overload of mercados filled with colorful produce to the experience of Catholic guilt and a deep sense of community. After her professor father was recruited by the University of Chicago, though, Hinojosa's story takes a turn, as they encounter racism and xenophobia. Threading her own personal history with accounts of the treatment of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, the author gives readers a clear picture of Latin American experiences in the U.S. The book effortlessly weaves Spanish into the narrative, utilizing Spanish for terms that are loaded with cultural meaning. The narrative voice is grounded and engaging, even when the subjects discussed are upsetting and revolting, and there is a richness to the book's uplifting nature, even in its darkest moments. Hinojosa delves into questions of mental health, identity, representation, sexism, elitism, imposter syndrome, and finding her way in the highest echelons of U.S. education and media. This powerful adaptation of the highly acclaimed 2021 original for adults is as relatable as the title suggests and will empower readers who see their lives reflected in it. A timely and important story skillfully adapted for young people. (Memoir. 10-14)
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September 2, 2022
Grades 4-8 This engrossing adaptation of Hinojosa's adult memoir explores terrain close to most young readers' hearts: understanding oneself and finding one's voice. Born in Mexico and raised in Chicago, award-winning journalist Hinojosa speaks about her family's experience with immigration, her life in the U.S., and the pursuit of her goals and dreams. Arranged chronologically, the chapters relate formative experiences from Hinojosa's youth, showcasing the lessons she learned, which will benefit readers as well. From examining democracy to understanding how one puts down family roots in a new place to experiencing life beyond high school, these stories will resonate with readers, who will find inspiration in Hinojosa's voice, which she discovered after falling in love with self-expression and journalism. Hinojosa is known for being the first Latina to create a national independent nonprofit newsroom in the U.S., and it is exciting to follow her journey throughout this book. Her story will encourage a new audience to express themselves uniquely and forge their own paths in pursuit of their hopes and dreams.
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Starred review from June 8, 2020
Veteran broadcast journalist Hinojosa discusses immigration in a defiant memoir that probes family lore, public policy, and mainstream media bias. In 1962, when Hinojosa was a baby, her family emigrated from Mexico to Chicago when her father was invited to join the faculty at the University of Chicago, but an immigration agent, misinterpreting her minor skin rash as a disease, tried to separate her from her family. Annual visits to Mexico maintained her dual Mexican-American identity, but reentry to the U.S. was dependent on a green card and emphasized how “people were and are still looking at us—immigrants—as aliens.” As a student at Barnard College, she hosted a Latin radio show and earned an internship at NPR. Hired by “the one other Latino at the network,” she helped launch Weekend Edition Saturday. In 1986, while covering the Texas sesquicentennial, she visited Harlingen, “the first immigrant detention camp I ever saw” and the nation’s largest. Horrific conditions spurred her ongoing investigations which continue today. She discusses the history of immigration under presidents Clinton (while “Bill Clinton was being celebrated for eating burritos and enchiladas, the new president was also cracking down on immigration”) and Obama (“In 2014, under President Barack Obama, ‘removals’ clocked in at 414,481”), details the passage of immigration legislation, and highlights the high cost of detention (“$3 billion for the 2018 fiscal year”). The result is a powerful memoir that doubles as an essential immigration primer.