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Olivia lived with her family in a boxcar encampment outside Aurora, Illinois. The encampment consisted of many Mexican families that had left Mexico in the early 1900s. Olivia’s parents had fled as religious persecution was rampant, and the country was headed towards a civil war. As Olivia became acquainted with her neighbors, she learned that their new lives in the United States would bring opportunity but also discrimination. Olivia’s formative years would be spent in the enclave where she made friends while also learning about other cultures. Olivia possessed ambition, and when the opportunity arose to go to college and achieve her dreams, she didn’t hesitate. However, Olivia never forgot her life in the boxcar camp and sought to improve the lives of her students and other fellow Mexicans.
The author's work is both relevant and timely as immigration has been a thorny subject in the recent history of the United States despite the vital role of the newly arrived in building the country. The author effectively conveys through the narrative how the situation in which Olivia and her family lived was precarious, as attitudes towards Mexican immigrants were fickle. Benavides’ vivid writing reflects the emotional weight of Olivia’s story, which comes from her coping with the frequent intolerance visited upon her during her life in Aurora. He poignantly depicts how, despite the harshness of some, Olivia was undeterred in her willingness to make a life for herself in her adopted country. She was also resolute in her mission to make sure that the indelible footprint of Mexican culture was not forgotten by her students or her fellow immigrants. Benavides’ book is powerful, inspiring, and rewarding.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review