Separated Lib/E: Family and Community in the Aftermath of an Immigration Raid

by William D. Lopez

MP3 CD Format On a Thursday in November of 2013, Guadalupe Morales waited anxiously with her sister-in-law and their four small children. Every Latino man who drove away from their shared apartment above a small auto repair shop that day had failed to return—arrested, one by one, by ICE agents and local police. As the two women discussed what to do next, a SWAT team clad in body armor and carrying assault rifles stormed the room. As Guadalupe remembers it, "The soldiers came in the house. They knocked down doors. They threw gas. They had guns. We were two women with small children . . . The kids terrified, the kids screaming."

In Separated , William D. Lopez examines the lasting damage done by this daylong act of collaborative immigration enforcement in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Exploring the chaos of enforcement through the lens of community health, Lopez discusses deportation's rippling negative effects on families, communities, and individuals. Focusing on those left behind, Lopez reveals their efforts to cope with trauma, avoid homelessness, handle worsening health, and keep their families together as they attempt to deal with a deportation machine that is militarized, traumatic, implicitly racist, and profoundly violent.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

Audio CD

Published September 24, 2019

Reviews

[Soumya Rangarajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a preface, I know the author, and as a similarly "overeducated, light-skinned, clean-cut" immigrant woman, I found this to be an incredibly compelling read about a family and community who live right in the community that Dr. Lopez's family and I both live in. However, it is a community I, as a doctor and masters degree recipient, have never really seen or engaged with, showing the unfortunate socio-economic segregation in our community.

I think Dr. Lopez does a fantastic job both stepping back and letting his subjects tell their stories, and also noting his commonalities with, but also his differences and significant privilege compared to, his subjects. I also think he really did a great job balancing the experience of the undocumented immigrants and some of the law enforcement officers. I actually did not expect to see the law enforcement perspective, and I really think it provided some balance to the narrative. Finally, some of the well-researched background info he provides, especially on things that have been controversial in the media (and also things the public does not think about at all, like drivers licenses), is very valuable and contributes to a balanced perspective.

The only small area for improvement is there could be some repetition in parts. I think maybe he could have put less detail in the beginning about the raid from the "omniscent narrator" perspective in Chapter 1, and delved straight into the subjects' description of the events in Chapter 2, as he also offers his own valuable perspectives as a researcher interspersed with the stories. I also think it would have been interesting to highlight the similarities and differences in immigration enforcement overlapping two different political administrations (prior to and since 2017).

Overall, a fantastic book. A must read for anyone wanting to read "beyond the headlines" regarding immigration, and especially valuable in the current political environment.

[Rick Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a specific knock against this book, but every book Ive read about immigration seems to need to have the authors personal connection to it. More so than books about other Politically charged topics. Perhaps it’s pride? Self recognition in the other? I’ve read plenty about healthcare reform that doesn’t involve personal journeys through healthcare. Interesting how personal many of these get. Maybe because we’re all immigrants of some former another, once you break down the sort of rhetorical wall it’s impossible not to see how your own experiences and family fit into a larger tableau.

This was good. It’s interesting and valuable contribution, but it felt short in that it seems to be a little disconnected. There are multiple levels of issues around immigration, and this book tries to address many of them, but only does one or two well.

The portrayal of the shattering of a community and actions of ice are condemnable. The author describes several times how impressed he was with “access” in the office to get into a bit of the larger perspective, but it is still incredibly limited. I don’t walk around a farm and claim to know how agriculture works.

I think the pinnacle of what I’ve read in this vein is ‘the line becomes a river’ and maybe I’ve been spoiled by that. This book tries to do too much and its strength is when it’s simplified and personal. The description of the alienation and designed creation of separation of those accused of immigration violations is chilling. My own thoughts are pretty fluid, but there’s absolutely a need for a more humane way of dealing with people.

[Abbie Telgenhof · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this for my class on policing and protest

this book was eye-opening to the ways Latinos, specifically undocumented Latinos, have to encounter law enforcement every day

hit even harder as the book takes place in Washtenaw County

would highly recommend if you're interested in learning more about policing or ICE and the horrible ways they rip families apart

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories told are a testament to the strength of the mixed-status community around which the book is centered. Lopez focuses on the impact of the 2013 immigration raid on the individual, family, and community levels, sharing stories of injustice, abuse of power, and unparalleled courage at each level. This book evoked such strong emotions in me, as I’m sure it will with anyone who is lucky enough to read it.

[Viral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Johns Hopkins University Press for the ARC at BEA 2019, and to Dr. Lopez for signing my copy!

This book was amazing. Dr. Lopez takes us through the stories of several different undocumented individuals and their families as their lives are turned upside down from ICE raids. We see how racial profiling, harassment, and the interpersonal and systemic violence of our immigration deportation machine destroy lives and families. A heartbreaking and raw story. Warning, there are scenes that are triggering, where ICE agents say and perform disgusting things to the individuals they are detaining. The stories of the undocumented need to be told in their true entirety, but it can be a lot.

Highly, highly recommend. A critical read in this political moment. Abolish and prosecute ICE. No human is illegal, especially on stolen land.

[Jayanthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers both a powerful account and an insightful analysis of how systemic violence devastates communities, families, and individuals. An incredibly important book that highlights the immediate need for just immigration policy.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should be required reading for anyone who has an opinion about immigration. This book dives into the real impact of our government's violent deportation practices, including the impact on those around the person who was deported.

[Stacey Bene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very pertinent read for this day and age.

[Amy Finley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very compelling read. Interesting in that the setting is Washtenaw County - so very close to home.

[C Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Educational ethnographic description of a violent immigration raid (under the pretext of a drug raid) and it's aftermath for families and communities with mixed immigration status. Makes connections to the dehumanization experienced by African Americans in policing policies, and describes some of the difficulties in living as undocumented or in a family or community with undocumented members.

[Billy Kangas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing is fantastic; great contrast and the images are so rich. I'll confess I was bracing myself for the academic impenetrability I've grown accustomed to enduring more than enjoying.
This is something different. I wouldn't say I'm enjoying it, because it's hard to hear the truth being shared. Major props to Lopez on making this work connect on a deeper level. I was truly moved hearing about these stories and angered realizing how hard it must be for mixed-status communities to respond to the brutality and racism they also face. There are so many ways that my own life is different. Lopez does a great job of demonstrating concrete ways that fear does violence to the community he studies.

The narrative framework used in the second half of the book really resonated with me. I often use a similar framework to identify my own attitude and perspective on things. It is far too easy to fall into a victim or a hero identity. We also need to be self-critical enough to recognize when our actions can cast us as a villain in the lives of those around us. I was struck that in the case of the ICE agents and the police officers you talk about they simultaneously hold the role of hero and villain depending on the vantage point that their actions are seen as. Maturity requires us to be able to see our actions with sensitivity to the multiple hermeneutics at work which frame how our actions and the roles we inhabit are perceived. All of this made me wonder “is there a way forward?” Lopez's own example in this book is inspiring. He provided concrete suggestions and even at times a vision of the future we could work for. In doing so Lopez embodied a fourth narrative identity, the guide. This is the most powerful way we can position ourselves because it forces us to look at a situation through the life and emotion of others. In conclusion, the questions Lopez raised in this book were so helpful. He spoke at the end of a naïve vision of a brighter future. Although the time frame may have been naïve the vision for its fulfillment is so necessary. It was a great read and a great inspiration.

[Doug Roehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a powerful and moving read by Dr. Lopez. There are several stories within this book that will stick with me for a long time. The format of the book makes complex and complicated issues digestible, while also striking a cord with the reader. One thing that I particularly appreciated about Separated was Dr. Lopez does not assume the reader has any preexisting knowledge on the topic, but also doesn’t write in a way that is elementary. A case in point is in Chapter 4 when he breaks down the important nuances of language that Hilda uses that reflect deep ingrained psychology. I was also particularly struck with the imagery and language the author paints throughout—even for an “academic read.” For example, I can easily and clearly recall what that landlord looks like, several days after I read it. Or the juxtaposition of the police officer “saving” the snapping turtle… powerful stuff.

I know Dr. Lopez, and hold him in high regard—always have. With that being said, Separated far surpassed all of my expectations. I cannot wait to read his next project.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ This covered a lot of important topics and I appreciate the nuanced view Lopez provides with fluency in Spanish and an understanding of mixed status communities. The book itself was a little all over the place for me. It was one family’s specific experience and then swung at the end to a broad discussion of the Black Lives Matter movement. I feel like the comparison of ICE raids in Latinx communities with city police targeting of black communities needs a whole half of a book or its own book, not just the end chapter. It was just a bit disjointed and I wasn’t totally sure what the author’s premise was.

[Krissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behind every policy, every argument, every battle over issues, there are people. Real human lives, ordinary and mundane, joyful and fearful, with celebrations and shocks and hopes. Lopez brilliantly and masterfully captures the humanity coursing through immigration policy and the effects of enforcement actions in a midwestern community. In this deceptively slim book, he packs rigorous methodology and authentic reflection in equal measures. Those wishing to understand how immigration policy affects individuals, communities, and government systems should not delay in reading this excellent book.

[Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Lopez gives us a remarkably intimate look at the complex web of systemic oppressions that produce immigration raids, and the cascade of consequences to communities' physical and mental health when fathers, brothers, mothers, and friends are taken. He gives us a robust analysis embedded in a personal and true story, taking the too often theoretical politics of immigration justice and injustice into lived experience. As a community member in the county where this raid took place, I was honored to read this emotional, intelligent, and powerful manuscript in advance of publication.

[Paul J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lopez is an amazing writer who carries the read through narrative, facts, and personal reflection in a way that makes you not want to put this book down. Immigrants and immigration policies are talked about all the time, but rarely do we have the opportunity to understand in an in-depth and emotional way how immigration policies are impacting families. Lopez gives us this opportunity by intimately sharing the thoughts, feelings, and consequences of an immigration raid on a community in Michigan. I highly recommend it.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The central story here is about an ICE raid In Washtenaw County, MI, in 2013. That story is harrowing enough, and William Lopez, a professor of public health at the University of Michigan, meticulously builds around that main story an explanation of how the ICE-and-local-police relationship threatens and devastates immigrant lives. The examples are rich, explained in perfect detail, and are demoralizing and infuriating. Anyone curious about the subject matter needs this book. And as a PS: Lopez is a superb public speaker, should you be in need of one on this topic.

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very unique perspective on the women and children that are left behind after deportation of a family member. Really opened my eyes to the stress financially and emotionally they must endure after a key part of support in the family is gone. I really enjoyed the interviews and the respect that the author gave to the communities. A must read for deeper, empathetic understanding on deportation and the heartbreaking consequences.

[One Fierce Lizard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read Separated as part of a reading assignment for my Social Dimensions of Health class at the University of Washington (Bothell). I appreciate the time and perspective that went into this book! I love that it confronts the negative narratives being portrayed in media about the communities involved. It's a side that you definitely do not hear about enough.

[Zosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hard book to read, but it’s one that’s so important everyone should read it. It’s impossible to ignore the immigration crisis when there are names put to faces. Such an insidious system. Lopez does an excellent job in his research, especially his interviews with the primary 3 women whose stories he focuses on. I only wish it could have been longer.

[Jill Dahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative look into illegal immigration and how ICE and Homeland Security have impacted these people and their daily lives. Lopez also goes into black lives and how police actions impact their existence in America as citizens always targeted by police. A great deal of work and research went into this book; it is an eye opener. I highly recommend this book.

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A necessary read. Heartbreaking, compelling, and beautifully rendered, Lopez describes the often-invisible impact of our current immigration system. Absolutely worth the read, this should certainly be required reading in the state of Michigan (where the events occurred).

[Cherie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Powerful book about ICE raids and how it impacts those left behind.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important ethnographic work on the current reality of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

[Saira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Used this book for my intro to medical anthropology class. My students appreciated the analysis of ICE and connections to police brutality with the Black Lives Matter movement.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative though the technicality of the writing was sometimes difficult to follow. The author is just that knowledgeable!

[Janel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read! The author tells this heartbreaking story so well. He highlights all the consequences that come with so many immigration and drug policies. Highly recommend!

[Nora Krinitsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Necessary reading and excellent for teaching.

[Ben Echevarria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insigthful book. All my years working with immigrant populations there's a book that gives us the impact that raids have on the community and the public health impacts it has.

[cj]

[read for school]