I enjoyed reviewing Deirdre Cornell’s new book, American Madonna: Crossing Borders with the Virgin Mary , partly because it is an excellent book, partly because I met the author in central Mexico in the early 1990s. I never forgot her; she is one of those people that linger in your memory. With my own research and… continue reading
The Sins of the Fathers? How Immigration Policies Promote Child Neglect
October 1, 2010 by
A few months ago a mother and father with two children arrived at the door of Casa Juan Diego unexpectedly–distressed, homeless, with very few clothes or possessions. I got the mother and children settled and comfortable in a room at our women’s house and the husband went to our men’s center. I did not see… continue reading
Death by Earthquake: Collateral Damages of Neoliberalism: Why Did the Earthquake Do So Much Damage in Haiti?
April 1, 2010 by
Every Wednesday evening at Casa Juan Diego we celebrate Mass in honor of our guests’ arrival in the United States. It is our tradition to ask one of the recently arrived immigrants to tell the story of his journey. Often these are harrowing stories, and usually it is very difficult for the storytellers to put… continue reading
NAFTA Key to Immigration Problems in the United States
June 1, 2008 by
Dawn McCarty teaches at the University of Houston-Downtown. “Illegal” immigration has become a hot-button political topic, but one aspect of the issue is rarely discussed: what happens to the families left behind in Mexico when the husband/father (and increasingly, the mother) immigrates to the United States? To find out, I traveled to 15 different communities… continue reading
Women Left Behind Develop New Economic Models
April 1, 2000 by
This article is the fourth in a series by Dawn McCarty on the impact that undocumented immigration to the United States has on families and communities left behind in Mexico. Dr. McCarty teaches at the University of Houston-Downtown. During long road trips to rural communities in Mexico, I would have a reoccurring daydream: the women… continue reading
