The Book of Unknown Americans

This book, barely 300 pages, is incredibly rich; it offers so much to the reader. It tells a very powerful story, one that will stay with you for some time. "Unknown Americans" focuses on a small community of Latin American immigrants, particularly two families, living in an apartment complex in Newark, Delaware, of all places. At an impromptu Christmas day get-together in a cramped, unheated apartment, they toast each other's origins by calling out their places of birth to cheers and laughter: "Panama ! Mexico! Puerto Rico ! Nicaragua ! .....". It is an incredible scene and the reader is struck by the realization of how little they have yet how much they have. Despite some of the "love at first sight" blurbs that are used to promote this book, this is not a romance. UA deals with their struggles day to day, just to survive. Losing jobs, finding jobs, doing menial work, e.g., picking mushrooms in darkened sheds. But then author Henriquez counters with incredible passages dealing with hopes, dreams, small victories. Unfortunately, there is not always a pot of gold at the end of everyone's rainbow, and some are forced to return, occasionally for the most tragic reasons, to their places of births. This is a very emotional story, very uplifting, very well written; I cannot recall one false note in this book, nor one thing I would have changed. I believe that it would be difficult for any native American to read this book and not come away with kinder, gentler feelings toward all immigrants, but particularly those from Latin America.

Those who discuss politics in the media have had much to say about immigration lately because it is clear that having so many people living in the shadows and working for whoever will hire them is not really an acceptable social plan. I have heard many commentators say that anecdotal stories that zero in on specific undocumented families and individuals are the best way to describe to the American people how this situation affects uninvited residents. Knowing why these folks left their homes to go to a place where they would be homesick, would hardly expect to be welcome, and where they could be caught and sent home at any moment does not sound like something one does on a lark. So perhaps those media people have a valid point.In The Book of Unknown Americans by Christina Henríquez we meet a family, Arturo and Alma Rivera and their daughter, Maribel. They own their own home in Mexico and they did not want to leave but Maribel suffered some brain damage in an accidental fall; brain damage which may be reversible. In Mexico the Rivera parents were advised to take Maribel to the US for special education classes and a school in Delaware was recommended. The family waits a long time to get their visas and a job for Arturo so they can come to the US legally. Arturo spends his days in Delaware in a dark, damp cellar picking mushrooms for an hourly wage. They have rented an apartment in a two-story cinder block apartment building with a concrete landing and railing along the second floor.The building they live in is occupied by a wide variety of Spanish-speaking people from Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Columbia, Mexico, Panama, and Paraguay. I don’t believe it was easy to create a story that ties these disparate people (whose only commonality is language) together but with the Rivera family as the main focus the book functions well as a cohesive novel rather than a series of politically inspired anecdotes. We come to care about Arturo, Alma, and Maribel and their closest neighbors the Toros (from Panama) Celia, Rafael, and Mayor.Maribel was once an intelligent, adventurous girl. She is also very beautiful. With her diminished capacity and her exquisite looks Alma worries about protecting Maribel from men (both young and old) who may take advantage of her. As we find out what happens to the Rivera family in Delaware we learn that even the most well-intentioned people may experience challenges when they are “strangers in a strange land.”Whether or not Henríquez’ novel convinces you that we need to help 12 million people come out of hiding, Cristina’s story hangs together well as a novel. It is not perfect, not a deeply literary novel, but it is engrossing and enlightening and not overly long either. If it helps to raise our social consciousness about a group we see as sort of monolithic and begins to help individualize Spanish-speaking immigrants who come to America than it has earned its way (as has many another novel with social motives).

As a teach of multi language learners this story was close to my heart. It is a well written story sharing the strength of the human spirit aided by family and friends.

With all the controversy about immigrants, this book’s topic is very timely. Understanding the motivations and something about the culture of diverse Latinos is vital today. I really wanted to like this book, but it disappointed me.The location of events in this story is primarily a complex of Latino rental apartments in Delaware. Many Latinos have come to work on the mushroom farms in Pennsylvania, right over the border from Delaware. Backbreaking jobs picking mushrooms are plentiful. Half the mushrooms in the United States are grown here. Factories and restaurants offer other employment, as well.Short chapters are devoted to different Latinos from various countries. Mexico, Venezuela, Panama, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Guatemala, and Puerto Rico are all represented from the perspective of individuals from those geographical areas.Most of the chapters relate to two families, the Rivera and Toro families. Arturo Rivera, his wife, Alma, and their daughter Maribel have come from Patzcuaro, Mexico. Maribel has had a traumatic brain injury caused by a fall from a ladder in Mexico. She has lost some of her ability to speak, think and understand. The parents are hoping a school in the United States will bring back the daughter they have known and loved. Family life and outside events are told through Alma’s eyes. The other major family is from Panama and consists of Rafael and Celia Toro and their two sons, Enrique and Major. Their life is mainly shown through the eyes of Major, a young teenager, who is Maribel’s age.The themes of love, hope, despair, and guilt pervade the book. The devotion of Alma to her husband and daughter are real. Maribel and Major’s young love is also real and poignant.However, what is so apparent to me is the inconsistency of the writing. Some of the writing in the first third of the book, particularly the short chapters from the perspective of individual Latinos from various countries, is often rather forced. Most of these accounts do not ring true to me. Additionally, some of the analogies are odd. At one point, Alma describes her husband as solemn and focused when he is working, because he wants to do a good job. She says, “Of course, in time I learned his soft spots, like bruises on a piece of fruit”. We find out the “bruises” mean he is “compassionate and kind”, a poor and inappropriate analogy. Being kind and caring is hardly a bruise. Thankfully, the bulk of the book, especially the middle, is engrossing and well written. Unfortunately, the end of the book drags and is anti-climatic.

Entretenido

Great read !

It starts off a little slow, giving the background of each character. Around the middle is where I got hooked and couldn’t put the book down. The ending left me with so many emotions and wishing it didn’t have to end. highly recommend!! The characters feel so real so you really connect to them

A superficially simplistic but absorbing tale that examines the ramifications and repercussions that can arise from the decisions we make in life.Alma and Arturo Rivera move to Delaware,prepared to endure sacrifice and hardship.Pinning all their hopes on their daughter's restoration from a brain trauma.In the space of 305 pages I felt as though I actually knew the main protagonists.Such was the skill of Henriquez through her deft,descriptive and transformative words.My only minor criticism was the testimonials.Anything they added to the book was negated by the disruption to the continuity they caused.

What an amazing novel. This book tells the story of two immigrant families who live in the same building, alternating perspectives between the four parents. In between the parents' perspectives, Henriquez includes brief chapters which take the perspective of another resident in the building. You learn why they came to America, how they got there, and what their experience has been like. It is truly fascinating and eye opening.I love how Henriquez explored multiple marginalized groups in this book. The daugher, Maribel is a young woman of color from Mexico, does not speak English well, comes from a family with not a lot of money in the United States, and has a disability.The book provided great insight as to what it is like to be an immigrant and it is true that these people are often unknown and their stories are not heard. Perhaps if more people read this book, there would be more empathy towards immigrants and other marginalized people.