About:
Miguel De La Torre, the son of an undocumented immigrant and now a U.S. citizen and a professor of Christian ethics, seeks to develop a constructive conversation on immigration by examining significant issues and by presenting first-person accounts of the experiences of immigration. De La Torre’s goal is to initiate a civil conversation that can replace the politics of fear that now dominates discussions of immigration.
Each of seven sections (Borders, Economics, Myths, Family Values, the Politics of Fear, Christian Perspectives, Ethical Responses) opens with an examination of an issue and then includes a story or testimony by an undocumented immigrant, a story by someone who works with the undocumented, and a poem, prayer, or a song that expresses the hope and the terror involved in crossing the border. This combination of analysis, story, and artistic expression opens up the complexities of immigration for undergraduates and for all Christians.
Reviews:
“Trails of Hope and Terror frames the journey of men and women who [are] the new recipients of the dark side of the American experience, Hispanic immigrants. . . . After reading this book, the Christian that continues to stand idly by will have to one day give account to the God of Justice on why injustice prevailed over righteousness.”
– Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference