Defending Latina/o Immigrant Communities

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.

Alvaro Huerta holds a joint faculty appointment in urban & region planning and ethnic & women's studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He's the author of the book Reframing the Latino Immigration Debate: Towards a Humanistic Paradigm.

List of Figures
Foreword by Dr. José Z. Calderón
Introduction by Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Brief History Notes on Mexican Immigration to the U.S.By Dr. Alvaro Huerta
La Realidad: The Realities of Anti-Mexicanism-A Paradigm By Dr. Juan Gómez-Quiñones
Immigration Should be a Basic Human RightBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
The Day I Learned I was Poor and MexicanBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Once Ashamed of My Mexican Parents, but not AnymoreBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
A Chicana/o Manifesto on Community Organizing: Reflections of a Scholar-ActivistBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
"Just Say No" to Senate's "Gang of Eight" Immigration BillBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
No White Christmas for Brown ImmigrantsBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Lessons on Community Organizing in Chicana/o Communities: Educate, Agitate & OrganizeBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Socioeconomic Inequality Impacting Marginalized Communities Must ChangeBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Republican Leaders Will Regret Attacking Latina/o Immigrants By Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Scaremongering Over Child Refugees is DeplorableBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Without Hope, Blacks and Latinas/os Will Take to the StreetsBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
El Robo: In Memory of My Mexican MotherBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
La Pistola: In Memory of My Mexican FatherBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Lessons My Mexican Father Taught MeBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
The Day My Mexican Father Met Cesar ChavezBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
A Chicana/o Love Story: Tribute to a Wise and Beautiful ChicanaBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Trump's Racist Comments Help Democrats in the FutureBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
New Republican Xenophobic Policies Will Inevitably Backfire By Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Trump Exemplifies True Colors of GOPBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Trump's Mass Deportation Plan Symbolizes White PrivilegeBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
City of Los Angeles Should Regulate Street Vendors By Joaquin Montes Huerta and Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Saturday Night Live Must Dump GOP Candidate Donald J. TrumpBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
U.S. Courts Maintain Undocumented Immigrants in the ShadowsBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
The Shameful Case of Latino Republican Leaders: Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco RubioBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Republican Policies and Christian Values: Inherent Contradictions?By Dr. Alvaro Huerta
An Open Letter to Candidate Clinton on Trouncing Trump in the General ElectionBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Urban Planners Unite Against TrumpBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
The Hustler: Trump and the Mean Streets of East Los AngelesBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
An Open Letter to President Donald J. Trump: Confessions of an "Anchor Baby"By Dr. Alvaro Huerta
The Hustler 2.0: President TrumpBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
An Open Letter to Gov. Jerry Brown on California Becoming a Sanctuary StateBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
The "War on Immigrants": Racist Policies in the Era of TrumpBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
On the Chicana/o Moratorium of 1970 and the Case of Ruben SalazarBy Dr. Juan Gómez-Quiñones
Advocating for the Immigrant Domestic WorkforceBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
President Barack Obama Should've Halted Mass DeportationsBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Demanding a Clean DACA Bill, Now!By Dr. Alvaro Huerta
No Deal on "Sh*thole" Border Wall!By Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Viva the Scholar-Activist!By Dr. Alvaro Huerta
In Memory of My Beloved Brother: Noel "Nene" HuertaBy Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Trump Epitomizes America's History of Anti-Mexicanism By Dr. Alvaro Huerta
A Call for Urban Planning Latina/o Faculty: In Memory of Dr. Leo Estrada By Dr. Alvaro Huerta
I Am Not Your "Wetback"By Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Conclusion by Dr. Alvaro Huerta
Works Cited
Index
About the Author
About the Contributors