A collection of short essays and stories, Defending Latina/o Immigrant Communities: The Xenophobic Era of Trump and Beyond focuses on one of the most vilified, demonized, and scapegoated groups in the United States: Latina/o immigrants. Using his rigorous academic training, public policy knowledge, and community activist background, as well as his personal and familial experiences as the son of Mexican immigrants, Alvaro Huerta defends and humanizes los de abajo / those on the bottom. He skillfully re-frames how Latina/o immigrants should be viewed as productive and important members in this country, debunking the xenophobic tropes, lies, and myths about Latina/o immigrants as criminals, social burdens, and national security threats. Accompanied by the brilliant art of an internationally acclaimed artist, Salomon Huerta, and powerful photos of two established photographers, this book also investigates intersectional issues related to race, class, place, and state violence.
List of Figures Foreword by Dr. Jose Z. Calderon Introduction by Dr. Alvaro Huerta 1.Brief History Notes on Mexican Immigration to the U.S. By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 2.La Realidad: The Realities of Anti-Mexicanism-A Paradigm By Dr. Juan Gomez-Quinones 3.Immigration Should be a Basic Human Right By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 4.The Day I Learned I was Poor and Mexican By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 5.Once Ashamed of My Mexican Parents, but not Anymore By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 6.A Chicana/o Manifesto on Community Organizing: Reflections of a Scholar-Activist By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 7."Just Say No" to Senate's "Gang of Eight" Immigration Bill By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 8.No White Christmas for Brown Immigrants By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 9.Lessons on Community Organizing in Chicana/o Communities: Educate, Agitate & Organize By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 10.Socioeconomic Inequality Impacting Marginalized Communities Must Change By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 11.Republican Leaders Will Regret Attacking Latina/o Immigrants By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 12.Scaremongering Over Child Refugees is Deplorable By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 13.Without Hope, Blacks and Latinas/os Will Take to the Streets By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 14.El Robo: In Memory of My Mexican Mother By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 15.La Pistola: In Memory of My Mexican Father By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 16.Lessons My Mexican Father Taught Me By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 17.The Day My Mexican Father Met Cesar Chavez By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 18.A Chicana/o Love Story: Tribute to a Wise and Beautiful Chicana By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 19.Trump's Racist Comments Help Democrats in the Future By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 20.New Republican Xenophobic Policies Will Inevitably Backfire By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 21.Trump Exemplifies True Colors of GOP By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 22.Trump's Mass Deportation Plan Symbolizes White Privilege By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 23.City of Los Angeles Should Regulate Street Vendors By Joaquin Montes Huerta and Dr. Alvaro Huerta 24.Saturday Night Live Must Dump GOP Candidate Donald J. Trump By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 25.U.S. Courts Maintain Undocumented Immigrants in the Shadows By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 26.The Shameful Case of Latino Republican Leaders: Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 27.Republican Policies and Christian Values: Inherent Contradictions? By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 28.An Open Letter to Candidate Clinton on Trouncing Trump in the General Election By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 29.Urban Planners Unite Against Trump By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 30.The Hustler: Trump and the Mean Streets of East Los Angeles By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 31.An Open Letter to President Donald J. Trump: Confessions of an "Anchor Baby" By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 32.The Hustler 2.0: President Trump By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 33.An Open Letter to Gov. Jerry Brown on California Becoming a Sanctuary State By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 34.The "War on Immigrants": Racist Policies in the Era of Trump By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 35.On the Chicana/o Moratorium of 1970 and the Case of Ruben Salazar By Dr. Juan Gomez-Quinones 36.Advocating for the Immigrant Domestic Workforce By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 37.President Barack Obama Should've Halted Mass Deportations By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 38.Demanding a Clean DACA Bill, Now! By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 39.No Deal on "Sh*thole" Border Wall! By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 40.Viva the Scholar-Activist! By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 41.In Memory of My Beloved Brother: Noel "Nene" Huerta By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 42.Trump Epitomizes America's History of Anti-Mexicanism By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 43.A Call for Urban Planning Latina/o Faculty: In Memory of Dr. Leo Estrada By Dr. Alvaro Huerta 44.I Am Not Your "Wetback" By Dr. Alvaro Huerta Conclusion by Dr. Alvaro Huerta Works Cited Index About the Author About the Contributors
