I Know It's Dangerous: Why Mexicans Risk Their Lives to Cross the Border

By Lynnaire M. Sheridan

Book Overview

Migration from Mexico to the United States has become an increasingly volatile topic. The news is filled with stories of deaths, protests, and amnesty debates. With the constant buzz about migration in the political, economic, and legal spheres, the migrants themselves easily become a de-humanized multitude. "I Know It's Dangerous" Why Mexicans Risk Their Lives to Cross the Border strives to put a human face on the issue of migration and effectively turns the statistics we hear so often into individuals with real lives, needs, and desires. As an Australian national, Lynnaire Sheridan brings a refreshingly neutral voice to this hot-button topic. With data gathered over two years of living in Baja California, Mexico, Sheridan draws out individual stories, motivations, and conceptions of risk that ultimately allow us a deeper understanding of migration. Sheridan enriches the migrants' stories with examinations of popular songs, graffiti art on the border, analyses of newspaper articles, and in-depth interviews with migrants. Together these narratives show us that risk has become a strong motivating factor for migrants and that stricter border policies have not necessarily stemmed the rates of migration; they have merely changed how people migrate.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0816528578
• ISBN13: 9780816528578
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: University of Arizona Press
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 8.9"