Forced Out: Migrant Mothers in Search of Refuge and Hope

The book "Facing Escalating Chaos and Violence in Their Home Countries, Many Central American Mothers Have Found That a Desperate Flight to the North Was Their Only Choice. If They Made It Across the Border Without Getting Locked Up or Deported, They Entered a Country Increasingly Unwilling to Recognize Claims of Asylum. This Book Features the Stories of Women Who Crossed the Border Without Encountering Immigration Authorities and Settled in the Greater Washington, DC, Area, Living in the Shadows for Years."

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 30 January 2024
Publisher: New York University Press

Faced with escalating turmoil and violence in their home countries, many Central American mothers have found that their only option is a desperate flight to the north. In order to protect their children from the hardships of the journey, they often left them behind. If they managed to cross the border without being apprehended or deported, they entered a country that was becoming less and less willing to acknowledge asylum claims. This book showcases the stories of women who successfully crossed the border without encountering immigration authorities, sometimes multiple times, and settled in the greater Washington, DC, area, living in secrecy for years. By focusing on the women's own voices, it provides an intimate glimpse into their motivations for leaving home and the challenges they face in reuniting with their children after years apart.

Through the lens of Forced Out, we explore the women's evolving perspectives on the violence inherent in institutions and everyday life in their home countries. We also shed light on their ongoing vulnerability and dependence in the United States. The book highlights the challenges these women face in parenting children who are adapting to American society and learning English while living with mothers who had left them years earlier and become strangers to them. Rather than sensationalizing their trauma or dwelling on their vulnerability, the stories reveal the women's rich, complex inner lives, their resilience in overcoming senseless violence, and their unwavering commitment to improving their children's lives.

Clear, vivid, and impactful, this book offers a humbling and humane perspective on the current state of migration to America. It serves as a reminder of the human cost of migration and the importance of compassion and understanding in addressing the challenges faced by those who seek a better life.

Weight: 458g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781479823529