Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America

A timely, well documented book about four Mexican women and their journeys growing up as immigrants in Colorado. The books spans over a decade, beginning with their high school years, through college, and then beyond in an updated epilogue. Two of the woman were in the country legally, and two were not and the roads they traveled are quite different because of what were afforded to them based on their legal status. All of the women are smart, strong, funny, and very likable. Their struggles opened my eyes to things I never even thought about when it came to the roadblocks they each faced and confronted with courage and grace. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in immigration reform, and even those opposed to immigration.

This book rattles on and on without going deep enough into the feelings and motivations of the characters, while also avoiding any critical examination of the larger issues underlying their troubles. The author is a fly on the wall just relating what she sees and hears, without taking a stand on anything. I don't find it effective as a social commentary or engaging as a human story. The stories feel two-dimensional and watered-down. I wish we could've heard more from the girls themselves, what they really think.

I thought I knew about the struggles of undocumented immigrants having read a lot about it, but realized I had no idea of everything they go through. This book is unique because it not only tells about the mostly unknown struggles of documented and undocumented immigrants, but it also looks at the other side, the anti-immigration and where they are coming from. The author is a politician’s wife watching and documenting the stories of these four girls, at the same time being a politician’s wife, and seeing what’s going on politicaly that’s causing these girls’ struggles and why the other side is so against immigration. She actually talks to members of the parties against immigration and finds out why and explains both sides of the debate and understands both sides herself. There is so much to be learned from this book, regardless of your political beliefs. It’s a bit slow at the beginning, and not a quick read-though by no means boring-and you’ll be glad you read it.

Just Like Us is an extremely well-written story. Through the characters, we are introduced to the challenges facing Mexican American immigrants. Many of the challenges are common to all young people, while others are not. This book makes the issues surrounding immigration come alive and lets us see how the whims of immigration law affect real, flesh and blood people.

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review
I read this book fairly slowly because I wanted to give it the attention it deserves. The reporter, Helen Thorpe, spent over five years researching and writing this nonfiction work about the immigration issue, seen through the lens of four especially gifted young Latinas. Thorpe has a tremendous talent for detailed investigation and empathetic description; this is as thorough a study of immigration as any academic study, but much more engaging. Thorpe raises pressing philosophical questions about the immigration debate throughout the book, engaging and challenging the reader to decide for him or herself what to think. The writer doesn't let her readers off the hook.

I don't believe the book was intended to be a work of advocacy journalism but it turned out that way. You simply cannot care about actual human beings and be against progressive, humane immigration reform. Thorpe comes to care deeply about the girls in her story, and as a result she sees her own framework for viewing "illegal" immigrants change over the course of her research.

There is so much to like about the book, but most especially the four girls being written about. Such smarts, energy, generosity, and guts! I just fell in love with them, as most readers will do also.

Just Like Us . . . should be required reading in the school system. Our country's lack of a viable plan for legal immigration results in tremendous hardship for the desperate people who come here, looking for ways to survive. This is one of the biggest lessons of the book: Imposing extra hardship on hard-working poor people should shame us all.

Rebecca Burke
Author of When I Am Singing to You

"Just Like Us" is an important book, well written and very honest. I admire Helen Thorpe for her non judgemental approach to the girls as well as the politics surrounding them. Tt's past time to pass the Dream Act, and this book will hopefully help make that finally happen. I look forward to seeing the play!

This book comes at the whole "immigration" issue from a much different place. Things are not so black and white. Helen Thorpe does an excellent job of showing the reader all the complications of the issue!

good read

This book provides an realistic inside look at what it's like to be an undocumented teenager in America today.

Great book!