Obtain Immediately The Devils Highway: A True Story Penned By Luis Alberto Urrea Presented In Visual Format

listened to this following American Dirt, to have a comparison in the quest to "put a face on the faceless", which both authors had as a goal.
This book gave me a much more complete view of the people who make these dangerous border crossings, and why,

Urrea focuses on one particular story involving a small group of men who attempt to make the crossing with the help of a "coyote", only to become lost and succumb to the heat.
Many died in the attempt, making headlines in the news, We learn who they were and how they struggled, We learn who they left behind back home and what they hoped to do once in the United States, We learn how harsh the conditions are and what happens when those passing through aren't up to the task,

Additionally, we learn about coyotes, border agents, Mexican police, DEA agents, U, S. citizens who harass and possibly injure or kill them for sport, doctors and nurses who deal with the injured and ill once they arrive or are rescued, or deal with the dead once they are retrieved all regular people with unique perspectives and upclose views on the immigration issues.
And we learn about policies and practices that help or hinder those seeking opportunity and safety,

Urrea appears to give a fair accounting and view of a complicated situation, He gives detail after detail that bring these men alive, with all their hopes, dreams, ambitions, and suffering, For readers looking for a comprehensive account of border issues, this is an informative read/listen, Urrea is the narrator, which made for a pleasant listen even though he is dealing with disturbing material, We all know that in our current political climate, there are very strong feelings by people on every side when it comes to the issue of immigration and refugees, There has long been talk about a wall being built between the United States and Mexico, to prevent people from crossing the border and, y'know, "taking our jobs" or whatever.
I'm not interested in having a political debate with anyone about this topic, but a wall is fucking stupid,

In any case,

In,men attempted to cross the border from Mexico into Southern Arizona which is, if you look at a map, ALL DESERT, They paid money to be guided through this part of the desert which is known as the Devil's Highway, Of themen who went in, onlysurvived,

Luis Alberto Urrea did a decent job getting into the minds of the people on every side of this issue, from the ones taking the money from those who wished to make the journey, to the journeymen themselves, to the Border Patrol workers who fear the Devil's Highway for knowing just how deadly and unforgiving a terrain it can be.


As a white woman living in the USyears after these events, I find it heartbreaking that people have to go to such great lengths to go somewhere in order to make a better life for themselves and their family.
I come from a very privileged background and cannot imagine, and so because of this privilege comes a lot of idealism about how things should never have to be this complicated for anyone.
The sad thing is, of course, that while this particular event took place in, it's not an entirely isolated situation, People die all of the time trying to cross borders, whether they are North American or not, and it always seems to be senseless AF,

In this particular case, I'm frustrated because all of the events these men encountered could have been avoided, The men who chose to be guided were misinformed and therefore were not prepared to spend any significant amount of time in a desert setting many of the deaths could have been prevented had they been properly informed on the right clothes to wear, the right provisions to bring, the right expectation of how long the journey would take, instead of just being told that they were "almost there".


I was able to read this book in one day, It's a quick read, even though it's not always an easy read as Urrea wanted to humanize each of the different men who made the trek to the best of his ability.
This is, sadly, still a timely topic more so, actually, in some ways than when it was originally published, I don't know if reading this book would change anyone's feelings about immigration, but I think it's worth reading and understanding all of the facts, A gutwrenching, fierce book centering aroundmen who tried to cross the USMexican border through the desert, Urrea writes about their arduous journey in shattering detail as well as providing an evenhanded portrayal of several Border Patrol agents and a discussion of the bigger picture of illegal immigration.


On my list of authentic books to read as an alternative to, or alongside American Dirt The Devil's Highway, is a pretty good book.
Urrea sees no sacred cows except for perhaps the poor individuals who dare to cross over to the U, S. Urrea's border landscape is murderous one, and the "Coyotes" that lead the illegals across are predators and gangsters, It's all about money. Urrea does his best to give each of those who suffered through theordeal the Yumathose that died, or Welltonthe entire party, take your pick, faces, lives, hopes.
They are people, and not just rotting bodies found in the desert, Still, I get the sense that The Devil's Highway, is a bit padded, There are also a few inaccuracies Department of Interior police as a separate body from the BLM An inaccurate description of a Tarantino movie, which left me feeling that Urrea was shooting from the hip.
Given the subject matter, he can't help but hit his target which is extended to both sides of the border, but when I see mistakes even nitpicky ones, I wonder, whatever the book, what other ones am I missing Further, Urrea's style will remind you of Hunter Thompson, or even James Ellroy.
This is risky writing, but one that can also, in time, annoy when the unnecessary slang piles up, At its worst, it seems like the writer is more interested in being

hip than telling the story, It's a high wire act, Urrea, for the most part, stays on that wire, but there were a few times where the slang gets to be annoying,

But even with a slightly padded feel to it, it's the last twenty or so pages of The Devil's Highway that deliver the goods, Urrea could easily expand on those twenty pages and write a new book on the current state of the Mexican and American Border, There were some real revelations for me such as Mexico losing jobs to China just like everyone else, which of course contributes to the lure of going North, How illegal immigration contributes to suppressing wages in the U, S. , which is why Industry just loves the current situation, The sheer violence and weirdness of the Border: Mexican law enforcement crossing over in pursuits and shootouts a very disturbing wave of what seems to be connected murders of women in Juarez it's been going on for ten years! and of course the deadly trek north, with Hope and Death sitting in the balance, while Money holds the scales.

Urrea brings his compassionate heart, his knowledge of the MexicanAmerican borderlands, and his skills as a reporter, novelist and poet to this nonfiction story of aborder crossing that went tragically awry.
While some circumstances have changed, the book remains relevant, important and unforgettable, The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea was a disturbing nonfiction account of an unforgiving corridor along the MexicoUnited States border known as "The Devil's Highway, " The author did extensive research and was granted access to documents and governmental reports from both Mexico and the United States including border patrol reports, sheriff's departmental reports, Mexican consular reports, Justice Department reports, testimonies and trial documents, correspondence and hours of taped interrogations and confessions.
At the heart of this criminal case were the circumstances leading up to twentysix men and teenaged boys, all from Mexico, being told by the smugglers that they would just have to walk a few hours before they would reach a highway.
However, it was more thanmiles of desert that would have to be crossed, Complicating their plight was the fact that they lacked water and the knowledge how to survive thedegree weather along "The Devil's Highway, " Only twelve people survived with fourteen dead from exposure, They were found by the Border Patrol just east of Yuma and close to death suffering from exposure and dehydration, Urrea's account of what happened ensues in a fair and unbiased way, while presenting the facts in an historical context adding to one's understanding, It is an important book to read,

"Desert spirits of a dark and mysterious nature have always traveled these trails, From the beginning, the highway has always lacked gracethose who worship desert gods know them to favor retribution over the tender dove of forgiveness, "

"A westerner named Francisco Salazar seems to have been the first to keep an eyewitness record of this phase of the killing fields, By, he wrote, the Devil's Highway was ", . . a vast graveyard of unknown dead, . . the scattered bones of human beings slowly turning to dust, . . the dead were left where they were to be sepulchered by the fearful sandstorms that sweep at times over the desolate waste, " While listening to this audio book, I felt just as lost as those wandering the Devil's Highway, The narrative is scattered amp the author rambles, I think I would've enjoyed this one a lot more had it been told in a linear format, I needed a book that was set in Mexico for, . . yes those of you that know me know that some books that are not my usual fare are for more than likely for, another challenge. I just don't seem to be able to resist them: I was prepared to read it, . . I liked the title not really a "good" reason to read a book I know but as I got into it I found myself really drawn in, My grandparents and my mother were immigrants from Ireland, so I grew up hearing the reasons that drove immigrants to flee their native countries, and I saw firsthand the heartache that it causes.
I saw my grandmother cry for her Ireland until the day that she died atyears of age, Mr. Urrea graphically described what people will do out of desperation to help their families, as well as how governments around the world have time after time failed these individuals, The book is sad, it's graphic and it's sometimes painful to read, . . but it should be "required reading", The book does include what some would call "tall tales" that can't be substantiated, . . but then most of history can't be accurately substantiated, . . but the fact remains that occurrences that take place in this book are a part of our history, . . for better or for worse, The border between the U, S. and Mexico is a mythical, brutal place, A noman's land that men often cross through, or die in, In May, two dozen men entered "the Devil's Highway", a stretch of desert between Sonora in Mexico and Yuma, Arizona in America, Fourteen of these men did not come out alive,

This is not an uncommon fate for "undocumented entrants" hundreds of migrants die every year trying to gain entry to America,,people died crossing the border betweenandsitelink, Heat stroke, dehydration, and hypothermia are the leading causes of deathsitelink, The only thing that makes the "Yuma" special is the number of people who died at once,

This book tells the story of the Yumaas an archetypal border crossing tragedy, The author treats all characters with the utmost respect, from the migrants to the coyotes who eventually abandoned them, to the border patrol, Even as a MexicanAmerican with understandable bias in favor of those south of the border, he manages to tell a completely empathic story in which everyone is treated humanely,

That is, except for the U, S. border policy itself, which is destructive, xenophobic, and racist, If you were to listen to a certain smallhanded Presidential candidate, there is a flood of "illegals" coming across the border to rape your wife, steal your wallet and your job.
This would be absolutely laughable if it wasn't so sad how many people believe it so readily, As much data as there is in this book and as much time one can take formulating an argument about how immigrantsboth legal and illegalactually benefit the U, S. economy which they do, the primary lesson from this book is that we are all humans and deserve to be treated as such, Don't let bigots dehumanize "the other", Embrace what everyone shares in common, rather than creating division,

There's a lot to talk about when it comes to the Yumaand the border in general here are some useful links:

sitelinkInteractive Map of the Yuma's travels

sitelinkOriginal NYTimes article about the Yuma

sitelinkBill Moyers interview, how the author came to sympathize with Border Patrol agents

sitelinkDevil's Highway: An Evening with Autho Luis Urrea

sitelinkUSMexico Border Policy Report, does a great job of highlighting the problems of the current policy and provides practical solutions This was an excellent book on border crossings between Mexico and the U.
S. It is horrifying as well, I can still see the mummified bodies of those who tried to cross the borders with just one ola in their hands, They thought that all they had to do was walk across, and they were there in a town or city instead a desert met them, and they died within a very short period of time.
of all the books i've read on the subject, this is the best, the story itself is harrowing, of course, and urrea is one hell of a writer, rather than tell a linear story of themexicans who walked across the devil's highway onlylived to tell the tale, he offers a kaleidoscopic view of the whole machine: border patrol, mexican gangsters, coyotes, arizona, texas, vera cruz, the rio grande, sonora, and the eyeballdrying lifetaking sweatsucking scorching terrible terrible terrible dantean devil's highway itself: the most quiet, serene, and, yes, hostile place on the planet.
i read this in a single night and went to sleep feeling like shit, both physically and spiritually, ugh. a vile and fantastic book, The author of Across the Wire offers brilliant investigative reporting of what went wrong when, in May, a group ofmen attempted to cross the Mexican border into the desert of southern Arizona.
Onlymen came back out, This book was published seven years ago and should be required reading today, It describes how undocumented workers get to the farms, motels, fast food restaurants and factories of the United States and why they undertake that perilous journey through the story of a typical group of men who attempted to cross the Arizona desert on foot.
It's brilliantly and humanely written, showing everyone from the Border Patrol to the coyotes who guide the group so disastrously wrong in a critical, but compassionate way,

As the political rhetoric heats up here and we have successfully renamed the people who pick our oranges and cook our Big Macs illegal aliens, as though they were nonhuman and essentially evil, this book is more important than ever.
While Urrea does have a bias toward compassion and understanding, he doesn't flinch from addressing the costs to everyone of the issue of workers crossing illegally to work in the north.
He also illuminates both the reasons people would be driven to undertake an expensive and potentially deadly journey and the ways American immigration policy has created unforeseen consequences,

If every article or book written on this topic were as wellresearched and free of hyperbole, I think the national debate on immigration would be both more reasonable and more productive.
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