Immigrant Me & Other Short Stories

This short story collection earned Finalist status in the 2012 Grace Notes Publishing: Discovering the Undiscovered, fiction book contest. Three of the stories, Challenger, The Curb, and Los Malandros, were published in anthologies and won awards. Fourteen memorable stories that give you a deep look into a world of despair. Mexican immigrant characters in the U.S. struggle to find work, dignity, and purpose. Meanwhile, their countryman, especially those living in the Juarez, Sinaloan, and Gulf cartel occupied lands, struggle to stay alive or find meaning from violence and death. From Jesus, the rookie day laborer who learns a big lesson about hope, dreaming big, to Brayan, the high school standout that learns prior to graduation that he's been living in the U.S. illegally, these stories have impact anyone can feel. As a platform for conflict, American citizens are weaved into scenes. From Bob, the virgin employer of day laborers, who's trying to live the American dream and save some money on the side, only to be put in his place by a retired Marine veteran, to David, a debt collector who goes all out to get his life back (his wife and son) and ends up causing the beating of a little Mexican boy at the hands of his belligerent father, these stories will make you feel uncomfortable in a good way. Coming of age, education, cultural perspectives, immigration, violence, relationships, and more are all explored through the realistic and unforgettable characters within these stories. You will find their lives and experiences in the U.S. intriguing. With immigration reform being a hotly debated topic, this is a book you will need to understand the issues in all of their complexities.