The Undocumented Americans Read online

  To my neighbors Anne, Dave, Tal, Tovah, and to Bitsie, Luna, Oscar, Nickel, Annie, Mako, Sal, Phife, and Bobcat. Thank you for taking care of me.

  To Dr. Brian Frankel.

  To the Alroys, Zemachs, Bersins, Lawlers, Stovalls, Fischstroms, to Twyla Silva and Anne Rosenthal. Special thanks to Kaethe, David, and Bucca.

  To my uncle Darwin—you’re an inspiration to me. My eyes are on what you and your boys will accomplish in the years to come. I strive every day to be a little bit more like you. You’re my hero. Kenneth and Jullian—work hard.

  To my squirrels.

  To my little brother, Derek—thank you for holding down the fort, for being patient and wise and for being our rock. You are the chosen one. It’s your job now to carry on the torch. You are Frodo and I am Gollum.

  To TZB and Frankie Rodham, my chosen family, the ones who taught me that love could be joyful and it didn’t have to hurt. You are my safe space. Thank you for healing me.

  To my mother, who should have had a different life, I will do everything in my power to give you a different future. I am the woman I am today because of you. And I am proud of the strong, ferocious woman you keep becoming every day.

  Finally, to my father—you’ll never know what it is like to carry your father’s heart in yours when it has been so torn to shreds for your sake. I will circle the world many times over telling everyone about its weight, its beauty, and what an honor it was to have known it.

  NOTES

  CHAPTER 1: Staten Island

  By way of comparison, Brooklyn and Queens: Ben Adler, “Brooklyn’s Median Household Income Is Less Than $45,000,” Slate, January 9, 2014, http://www.slate.com/​articles/​business/​moneybox/​2014/​01/​new_york_city_census_data_manhattan_and_brooklyn_are_much_poorer_than_you.html; United States Census Bureau, “Bronx County (Bronx Borough), New York, V2017,” https://www.census.gov/​quickfacts/​fact/​table/​bronxcountybronxboroughnewyork/​PST045217; United States Census Bureau, “New York County (Manhattan Borough), New York, V2017,” https://www.census.gov/​quickfacts/​fact/​table/​newyorkcountymanhattanboroughnewyork/​BZA210216; United States Census Bureau, “Queens County (Queens Borough), New York, V2017,” https://www.census.gov/​quickfacts/​fact/​table/​queenscountyqueensboroughnewyork/​PST045216; United States Census Bureau, “Kings County (Brooklyn Borough), New York, V2017,” https://www.census.gov/​quickfacts/​fact/​table/​kingscountybrooklynboroughnewyork/​PST045217.

  Governor Mario Cuomo insisted that the referendum be approved: David Colon, “Brexit Has Staten Island Councilman Calling for Secession, ‘Regardless of Cost,’ ” Gothamist, June 27, 2016, http://gothamist.com/​2016/​06/​27/​k_bye.php.

  Staten Island is the city’s most conservative borough: John O’Connor, “An Outlier in City Politics, Staten Island at the Center of National Political Trends,” WNYC, December 28, 2017, https://www.wnyc.org/​story/​outlier-city-politics-staten-island-center-national-political-trends/.

  It’s also the borough where Eric Garner: Ray Sanchez, “Protests After N.Y. Cop Not Indicted in Chokehold Death; Feds Reviewing Case,” CNN.com, December 4, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/​2014/​12/​03/​justice/​new-york-grand-jury-chokehold/​index.html.

  There was fifty-two-year-old Alejandro Galindo: Andy Humm, “Behind the Hate Crimes on Staten Island,” Gotham Gazette, August 23, 2010, http://www.gothamgazette.com/​civil-rights/​583-behind-the-hate-crimes-on-staten-island.

  They beat him with a baseball bat: Frank Donnelly, “Staten Island Hate Crime Suspect Indicted on Robbery, Assault Charges After Allegedly Beating Up Mexican Immigrant,” SILive.com, August 6, 2010, updated January 3, 2019, http://www.silive.com/​northshore/​index.ssf/​2010/​08/​suspect_in_staten_island_hate.html.

  “We believe at this time that they selected”: Nicole Bliman, “NY Police: 4 Face Hate Crime Charges in Beating of Mexican Man,” CNN.com, April 10, 2010, http://www.cnn.com/​2010/​CRIME/​04/​10/​hate.crime.arrests/​index.html.

  The New York Times describes their work: Joseph Berger, “For Day Laborers, Used to Scraping By, Hurricane Creates a Wealth of Work,” The New York Times, December 30, 2012, https://www.nytimes.com/​2012/​12/​31/​nyregion/​day-laborers-find-steady-work-after-hurricane-sandy.html.

  A 2006 survey of day laborers, who are mostly men, reports that: Hector Cordero-Guzman, Elizabeth Pantaleon, and Martha Chavez, “Day Labor, Worker Centers & Disaster Relief Work in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy,” School of Public Affairs, Baruch College, October 30, 2013, p. 3, https://www.dropbox.com/​s/vnspe6ir243jpz7/​Aftermath%20of%20Hurricane%20Sandy%20Report-FINAL.11.4.13.pdf?dl=0.

  There are now more than sixty-three worker centers: Ibid., pp. 4–5.

  It gave law enforcement officials the power: The CAP Immigration Team, “Top 5 Negative Impacts of Arizona’s ‘Papers Please’ Law,” American Progress, April 20, 2012, https://www.americanprogress.org/​issues/​immigration/​news/​2012/​04/​20/​11425/​top-5-negative-impacts-of-arizonas-papers-please-law/.

  Hurricane Sandy hit the night of October 29: Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency, “Chapter 1: Sandy and Its Impacts,” in A Stronger, More Resilient New York (New York: Government of New York City, 2013), p. 11, http://www.nyc.gov/​html/​sirr/​downloads/​pdf/​final_report/​Ch_1_SandyImpacts_FINAL_singles.pdf.

  During this same period, New Orleans mayor: Daniel A. Farber and Jim Chen, Disasters and the Law: Katrina and Beyond (New York: Aspen Publishers, 2006), p. 141.

  The first and biggest contractor to come on the scene: Joel Roberts, “Report: Katrina Cleanup Too Expensive,” CBS News, May 4, 2006, https://www.cbsnews.com/​news/​report-katrina-cleanup-too-expensive/; Isadora Rangel, “Republican Attack Ads Blast Randy Perkins’ Company,” TCPalm.com, October 27, 2016, https://www.tcpalm.com/​story/​news/​politics/​elections/​2016/​10/​27/​randy-perkins-company-ashbritt/​91214744/.

  The company left behind two EPA-designated superfund sites: Jarret Renshaw, “Democratic Lawmakers Say AshBritt Has Poor Environmental Track Record,” The Star-Ledger, March 7, 2013, updated March 30, 2019, https://www.nj.com/​politics/​index.ssf/​2013/​03/​democratic_lawmakers_say_ashbr.html.

  There were forty drowning deaths: Laura Petrecca, “Majority of Superstorm Sandy Deaths Were from Drowning,” USA Today, May 23, 2013, https://www.usatoday.com/​story/​news/​2013/​05/​23/​superstorm-sandy-deaths-red-cross-cdc-drowning/​2354559/.

  The storm caused $62 billion: Adam Jeffery, “Five Years On: A Look Back at the Destruction Caused by Superstorm Sandy,” CNBC.com, October 30, 2017, https://www.cnbc.com/​2017/​10/​30/​five-years-on-a-look-back-at-the-destruction-caused-by-superstorm-sandy.html.

  They cleaned flooded basements, removed fallen branches: https://ndlon.org/​after-hurricane-sandy-day-laborers-play-central-role-in-cleanup-rebuilding-2/.

  The bell at the church rang at one o’clock: “Este fin de semana sepultaron a Ubaldo Cruz en Xayacatlán,” Puebla Noticias, November 12, 2012, http://www.pueblanoticias.com.mx/​noticia/​este-fin-de-semana-sepultaron-a-ubaldo-cruz-en-xayacatlan-28383/ [inactive].

  CHAPTER 2: Ground Zero

  But days went by and only: Celeste Katz and J. K. Dineen, “Rescued from Debris,” New York Daily News, September 12, 2001.

  it soon became clear that the mapping technology: Ford Fessenden, “A Nation Challenged: Ground Zero; Fire Dept. Has Pinpointed 700 New Human Remains,” The New York Times, March 26, 2002.

  Thermal heat maps from NASA: Roger N. Clark et al., Images of the World Trade Center Site Show Thermal Hot Spots on September 16 and 23, 2001 (Denver: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 2001).

  New Scientist dubbed it: Jonathan Beard, “Ground Zero’s Fires Still Burning,” New Scientist, December 3, 2001, https://www.newscientist.com/​articl
e/​dn1634-ground-zeros-fires-still-burning/.

  The nearly three thousand human beings who died: Paul J. Lioy, Dust: The Inside Story of Its Role in the September 11th Aftermath (Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010), pp. 44, 96, 253–54.

  the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act: Rupa Bhattacharyya, Seventh Annual Status Report and Third Annual Reassessment of Policies and Procedures, September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, February 2019, https://www.vcf.gov/​pdf/​VCFStatusReportFeb2019.pdf.

  Rafael was declared to have: Associated Press, “Death of Mexican 9/11 Worker Raises Questions,” CBS News, January 16, 2012, https://www.cbsnews.com/​news/​death-of-mexican-9–11-worker-raises-questions/ [inactive].

  In a Fox News Latino television interview taped: Elizabeth Llorente, “On Sept. 11, a Mexican Firefighter Followed His Instincts and Ran into the Twin Towers,” Fox News, September 27, 2011, updated January 4, 2017, http://www.foxnews.com/​politics/​2011/​09/​08/​mexican-immigrant-has-no-regrets-about-risking-his-life-to-help-on-sept-11-even.html.

  And New York State, as well as most: Ted Hesson, “Five Ways Immigration System Changed After 9/11,” ABC News, September 11, 2012, http://abcnews.go.com/​ABC_Univision/​News/​ways-immigration-system-changed-911/​story?id=17231590.

  “the gatekeeper to the official list”: Anthony DePalma, City of Dust: Illness, Arrogance, and 9/11 (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson FT Press, 2010), pp. 180, 192.

  A few weeks after the towers fell: Amy Waldman, “A Nation Challenged: Mementos; With Solemn Detail, Dust of Ground Zero Is Put in Urns,” The New York Times, October 15, 2001, https://www.nytimes.com/​2001/​10/​15/​nyregion/​nation-challenged-mementos-with-solemn-detail-dust-ground-zero-put-urns.html.

  The Mexican consulate held its own memorial: Alexandra Délano, Benjamin Nienass, Anna Lisa Tota, and Trevor Hagen, “Making Absence Present: The September 11 Memorial,” in Routledge International Handbook of Memory Studies, eds. Anna Lisa Tota and Trevor Hagen (New York: Routledge, 2016), p. 405.

  EN MEMORIA DE LOS DELIVERY BOYS: Michael Raisch, “September 11th Delivery Bike Memorial,” Raisch Studios, http://www.raischstudios.com/​911-messenger-bike/.

  There was Antonio Meléndez, and Antonio Javier Álvarez: “Mexicanos del 9/11: La tumba del olvido,” Huffington Post, September 11, 2012, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/​2012/​09/​11/​mexicanos-world-trade-center_n_1872849.html [inactive].

  There was also Fernando Jimenez Molinar: Wilbert Torre, “Los mexicanos olvidados,” El Mundo, September 10, 2006, http://archivo.eluniversal.com.mx/​internacional/​51524.html.

  CHAPTER 3: Miami

  The city of Hialeah in Miami-Dade County: “Miss Earhart Flies to Miami,” The New York Times, May 24, 1937.

  I’ve seen white people carry signs plastered: Bill Chappell, “A Father and Daughter Who Drowned at the Border Put Attention on Immigration,” NPR, June 26, 2019, https://www.npr.org/​2019/​06/​26/​736177694/​a-father-and-daughter-drowned-at-the-border-put-attention-on-immigration.

  Researchers have shown that the flooding of stress hormones: William Wan, “What Separation from Parents Does to Children: ‘The Effect Is Catastrophic,’ ” The Washington Post, June 18, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/​national/​health-science/​what-separation-from-parents-does-to-children-the-effect-is-catastrophic/​2018/​06/​18/​c00c30ec-732c-11e8-805c-4b67019fcfe4_story.html?fbclid=IwAR2TZtOIZSTk1QX1pgmrSI9ggEelQfo8dbVtf80fKLH8KICU20ApnD_TMu0&utm_term=.e52cf1a5bcdb.

  the House of Representatives voted: Thomas Kaplan and Robert Pear, “House Passes Measure to Repeal and Replace the Affordable Care Act,” The New York Times, May 4, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/​2017/​05/​04/​us/​politics/​health-care-bill-vote.html; Lily Herman, “Getting Treated for Rape Could Be Considered a Preexisting Condition Under the GOP’s Health Care Plan,” Allure, May 4, 2017, https://www.allure.com/​story/​sexual-assault-pre-existing-condition-republican-health-care-plan.

  Experts estimated it would strip healthcare: Robert Pear, “G.O.P. Health Bill Would Leave 23 Million More Uninsured in a Decade, C.B.O. Says,” The New York Times, May 24, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/​2017/​05/​24/​us/​politics/​cbo-congressional-budget-office-health-care.html.

  Miami-Dade has the state’s largest number: Daniel Chang, “With High Uninsured Rate, Miami-Dade Faces Health Crisis, Report Says,” Miami Herald, April 13, 2016, http://www.miamiherald.com/​news/​health-care/​article71640637.html.

  In a New York Times article from 2015: Richard Schiffman, “Wary of Mainstream Medicine, Immigrants Seek Remedies from Home,” The New York Times, November 13, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/​2015/​11/​15/​nyregion/​wary-of-mainstream-medicine-immigrants-seek-remedies-from-home.html.

  It is difficult to know how many botanicas: Anahí Viladrich, “Botánicas in America’s Backyard: Uncovering the World of Latino Healers’ Herb-healing Practices in New York City,” Human Organization 65, no. 4 (Winter 2006): 407–19 (p. 409).

  I am generally unfriendly toward institutionalized: Mambo Chita Tann, Haitian Vodou: An Introduction to Haiti’s Indigenous Spiritual Tradition (Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications, 2012); Alfred Métraux, Voodoo in Haiti (Pickle Partners Publishing, 2016), .

  During my first visit to Miami: Lizette Alvarez, “58,000 Haitians in U.S. May Lose Post-Earthquake Protections,” The New York Times, May 20, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/​2017/​05/​20/​us/​haitians-us-earthquake-immigration-protections.html.

  The wait period before TPS: Martin Vassolo, “Scared to Death: Miami Haitians Fear Family Separations if Protected Status Expires,” Miami Herald, July 24, 2018.

  “some very fine people on both sides”: Rosie Gray, “Trump Defends White-Nationalist Protesters: ‘Some Very Fine People on Both Sides,’ ” The Atlantic, August 15, 2017, https://www.theatlantic.com/​politics/​archive/​2017/​08/​trump-defends-white-nationalist-protesters-some-very-fine-people-on-both-sides/​537012/.

  They have been marching for forty years: Uki Goñi, “40 Years Later, the Mothers of Argentina’s ‘Disappeared’ Refuse to Be Silent,” The Guardian, April 28, 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/​world/​2017/​apr/​28/​mothers-plaza-de-mayo-argentina-anniversary.

  This sounds to me like a notario: Rick Bowmer, “Legal Experts Warn Immigrant Families: Beware of ‘Notario’ Scams,” NBC News, November 30, 2014, https://www.nbcnews.com/​news/​latino/​legal-experts-warn-immigrant-families-beware-notario-scams-n256671.

  Vodou spirits are said to protect and nurture queer people: Beenish Ahmed, “Queer Haitians Find a Refuge in Vodou,” The Advocate, October 31, 2016, https://www.advocate.com/​current-issue/​2016/​10/​31/​why-queer-haitians-are-turning-vodou.

  In 1995, Bill Clinton introduced a revision: Richard Steven Conley, “Cuba,” in Historical Dictionary of the Clinton Era (Plymouth, UK: Scarecrow Press, 2012), p. 55.

  If they were detained in the crossing: Julia Preston, “Tension Simmers as Cubans Breeze Across U.S. Border,” The New York Times, February 12, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/​2016/​02/​13/​us/​as-cubans-and-central-americans-enter-us-the-welcomes-vary.html.

  Barack Obama ended the policy: Alan Gomez, “Obama Ends ‘Wet Foot, Dry Foot’ Policy for Cubans,” USA Today, January 12, 2017, https://www.usatoday.com/​story/​news/​world/​2017/​01/​12/​obama-ends-wet-foot-dry-foot-policy-cubans/​96505172/.

  CHAPTER 4: Flint

  I first visited Flint in 2017: Associated Press, “Another Official Facing Manslaughter Charge in Flint Water,” WTOP.com, October 9, 2017, https://wtop.com/​business-finance/​2017/​10/​another-official-to-face-manslaughter-charge-in-flint-water/ [inactive].

  Throughout the 1990s, General Motors: Keith Bradsher, “G.M. to Close Car Factory, Delivering Big Blow to Flint,” The New York Times, November 22, 1997, http
s://www.nytimes.com/​1997/​11/​22/​business/​gm-to-close-car-factory-delivering-big-blow-to-flint.html; Peter Bourque, “Remembering When GM Employed Half of Flint, Michigan,” Arizona Daily Star, August 2, 2009, https://tucson.com/​lifestyles/​remembering-when-gm-employed-half-of-flint-michigan/​article_e4176079–2b6b-591e-bd13–3ca041c9dcf2.html.

  By 2014, half of the population had left: Anna Clark, “Flint Prepares to Be Left Behind Once More,” The New Republic, March 3, 2016, https://newrepublic.com/​article/​131015/​flint-prepares-left-behind.

  Fewer than one hundred thousand people: United States Census Bureau, “Flint City, Michigan, V2017,” https://www.census.gov/​quickfacts/​fact/​table/​flintcitymichigan/​PST045217.

  In 2016, 45 percent of Flint: Dominic Adams, “Here’s How Flint Went from Boom Town to Nation’s Highest Poverty Rate,” MLive, September 21, 2017, updated January 19, 2019, https://www.mlive.com/​news/​flint/​index.ssf/​2017/​09/​heres_how_flint_went_from_boom.html.

  One out of nine houses in Flint is vacant: Anna Clark, “Flint, Michigan Has an Ambitious New Plan to Fight Blight,” Next City, March 16, 2015, https://nextcity.org/​daily/​entry/​flint-michigan-blight-plan-cost-metrics.

  When President Obama declared a state of emergency: Tony Dukoupil, “National Guard Deployed in Flint Water Crisis,” MSNBC, January 13, 2016, updated January 27, 2016, http://www.msnbc.com/​msnbc/​national-guard-deployed-flint-water-crisis.

  They had seen reports of the poisoned water: Erica Hellerstein, “The Forgotten Victims of the Flint Water Crisis,” Think Progress, January 28, 2016, https://thinkprogress.org/​the-forgotten-victims-of-the-flint-water-crisis-c57395f2983e/.

  Research has found that exposure to lead: “Lead Poisoning Effects,” Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital, http://www.mwph.org/​programs/​lead-treatment/​effects.