Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail Paperback – June 25, 2013

Ruben Martinez's (also author of the recommended "Other Side: Notes from the New L. A., Mexico, and Beyond") "Crossing Over" places a human face on the contours of new immigration and the new global economy. Martinez's argument is two-fold: that the United States and Mexico are becoming more and more similar culturally, and more and more interdependent economically. This growing interrelationship between Mexico and the United States is often denied or viewed with horror by many Americans who tend to see Mexican immigrants as "them."Although the book is presentist, in that it deals with the particular experience of a Mexican family and their travels from their small town in Cheran, Mexico to the United States, Martinez has a strong sense of history and how it weighs upon the present. Martinez understands that the Mexican border is currently, and always has been, incredibly porous since the 19th century due to the cultural ties between Mexican Americans and their Mexican counterparts to the south and due to American agribusiness' and manufacturing firms' constant quest for cheap labor.Shifts in recent US immigration policy, therefore, have created the problem of "illegal immigration"-that is workers who cross the boarder with no rights, protections, or avenues for redress under US law because of their status. These workers, although essential to the US economy (not just in the SW, but throughout much of the North East and Mid West as well), are looked down upon by US workers, exploited by their employers, and culturally marginalized by the dominant society.Perhaps the most telling episode regarding America's split personality on Mexican immigration is when Rosa attempts to cross the boarder. The Border Patrol, armed with the most high tech equipment to spot illegals, catches and fingerprints Rosa multiple times, but without arresting her. Eventually, she succeeds in crossing. The message is clear-we can't and really don't want to stop you from crossing, you just have to be prepared to risk you life and pay the price. The "price" is, of course, the fee for your coyote, your labor recruiter, and your boss who all "own" you because you are illegal. In the books most ironic moment, Rosa's family is actually compensated for the deaths of her brothers from a car accident involving the Border Patrol. In other words, the US accepts responsibility for what goes on at the border-but only up to $7,000.The book is well written in a conversational tone which makes it a useful tool in a college level class that deals with recent US immigration, globalization, labor, or Mexican-American culture.

I read this book which I enjoyed tremendously. Martínez collected so many details of the migrant experience with his research both in Mexico and the USA. I saw some similarities with what my ancestors experienced. It's a humane view of the cost to Mexican families for us Americans to enjoy the food we feel entitled to have.

There's no better way to begin to understand the tangled and interwoven relationship between Mexico and the United States than by picking up Ruben Martinez' "Crossing Over." I chose it because of a very good review written by Geri Smith in the December 31, 2001 edition of Business Week (see p. 26 of US edition; the review is entitled "The Grapes of Wrath, Mexican-Style").I thought the book had an interesting premise - three Mexican brothers attempting an illegal crossing die in a truck crash in Southern California in 1996 while being chased by the 'migra' (border patrol). It's an interesting start, but the book is much more than that. It's the personal reporting that sets the book apart. It becomes Martinez' travelogue - he befriends families in Cheran, Mexico, then meets up with them again in the United States in such far-flung places as Warren Arkansas, Norwalk Wisconsin, and Watsonville California. The initimacy of the reporting sticks with you long after you've completed the book. One standout passage of note: a tour of a meat-processing plant in Wisconsin. Paging Sinclair Lewis.Don't wait for the paperback. For this book, only the hardcover will do because you'll want it on your bookshelves for many years to come.

This title was included in the reading list for our class on Cross Cultural Awareness. We bring a group of nursing students to Oaxaca to learn more about the culture, the health systems, the challenges of living in Mexico, and the strengths of the people that remain. In addition, we link this exploration to the immigrant farm workers in our area. This book gives a perspective on what happens on both sides of the border, as well as the profound challenges of crossing the border. The reporting is raw, deep, authentic. It has helped me and our students have a better perspective of challenges, strengths and the levels of complexity for Mexican families.

The book is a compelling read. I’m very interested in learning about the lives of Mexican migrants, and the book gave me an excellent experience in this right.

congratulations to ruben for telling a story that hasn't been told in this fashion before. it took incredible patience, risk and "digesting it all" for this immigrant to tell the stories of others so different than he and yet, basically, wit the same story. he is a great writer who knows his people. thanks! if you are working with mexican-americans in the US, this is a must read for a deeper understanding.

The book is written extremely well. I don't want to give it away, but it's hard on a heart to see the harsh realities of some lives.This seller was great, it came quick, the book was in good condition and easy to read concerning the size of the font.

Super book, I learnt so much about family life where I live. The writing was perfect for me, lots of description but not too much, the booked progressed at the right speed for me. I really liked it. You have to be amazed by the Mexican ethics when it comes to family, work, progress and tradition.

Un ottimo romanzo che affonda le sue radici nella letteratura sociale americana. Il sogno americano non è tale per tutti.