Why read Banished to the Homeland?

Book cover of Banished to the Homeland: Dominican Deportees and Their Stories of Exile

Book description

The 1996 U.S. Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act has led to the forcible deportation of tens of thousands of Dominicans from the United States. Following thousands of these individuals over a seven-year period, David C. Brotherton and Luis Barrios use a unique combination of sociological and criminological reasoning to isolate…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Banished to the Homeland as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Sarah Tosh

Author

This book stood out to me in its in-depth and compassionate exploration of the deportee experience—in particular the stigmatization and blame placed on those deemed “criminals” and returned to their country of origin.

While mainstream narratives often blame immigrants for “bringing” crime to this country, Banished to the Homeland helped me to understand the central role of United States culture in creating the so-called “criminality” that men of color in particular are so often deported for.

I appreciate this book for its searing firsthand accounts, and its commitment to uplifting the humanity of migrants otherwise villainized and cast aside.

From Sarah's list on The best books that challenge the “good immigrant/bad immigrant” binary.