Erik Camayd-Freixas' book on the U.S. immigration reform

In the United States, immigration of documented or undocumented individuals underlies the provision of interpreting services for persons who have limited proficiency in English.  On May 12, 2008, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency carried out a raid on a meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa, that resulted on the arrest and deportation of 389 undocumented non-national workers. This raid was to be a pilot operation, a model, for future raids.  As a court interpreter and human being, I cannot help to consider the Postville raid as a shameful episode in the treatment of immigrants in this country.

Erik Camayd-Freixas is a Federally-certified interpreter who witnessed firsthand these events. He has just released a book -- US Immigration Reform and Its Global Impact: Lessons from the Postville Raid – which presents an insider’s view of the raid.  He chose to speak up and comment on the events he witnessed as an interpreter. This post is a way for me to support Erik’s efforts to address a very contentious topic.

 

What follows is a more detailed description of the book and its author.

Erik Camayd-Freixas, US Immigration Reform and Its Global Impact: Lessons from the Postville Raid
(New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013)

Providing an insider's view of US immigration enforcement and detention, US Immigration Reform and Its Global Impact unravels the post-9/11 national security agenda that led to the devastating Postville Raid of 2008 and its global ramifications. This incisive historical analysis unveils the hidden ideologies within immigration policy—uncovering forms of labor, demographic, and electoral control. Rich eyewitness accounts and voices from across the political spectrum paint a vivid picture of labor migration in the era of globalization. Camayd-Freixas employs theories of human mobility in terms of migration spheres to convey practical and historical lessons, illuminating a much-needed roadmap for enlightened immigration reform. 

Erik Camayd-Freixas is Professor of Hispanic Studies at Florida International University.  [He is also is Graduate Program Director of Translation and Interpretation Program at this university.]  He has testified before Congress, contributed as amicus curiae to the U.S. Supreme Court, and received numerous human rights awards.  He has lectured internationally on cultural studies, immigration, labor, ethics, and human rights. His most recent books include Etnografía Imaginaria : Historia y parodia en la literatura hispanoamericana and Orientalism and Identity in Latin America.

The book is currently available on Amazon.com and has a 20% discount. If you have any questions, I encourage you to contact the author directly.