Over the last couple of months I've been reading some books to revise my book and article manuscripts on border history and American immigration policy. But I've also been working on myself, and figuring out where I want to go with my career, and what skills I need to get there. Below you will find a combination of the two.
Charles Kamasaki, Immigration Reform: The Corpse That Will Not Die
Charles Kamasaki's book gives an insider's view of the passage of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. Kamasaki worked at the National Council of la Raza, now UnidosUS, which was one the pressure groups central in transforming what started as an employer sanctions bill - to restrict and reduce undocumented immigration - into one that included a legalization provision, for which it is most known today. He does a great job of laying out all the key actors and shares how the main Latino organizations built a visible presence in Washington and rose in political importance to shape American immigration policy.
Oscar J. Martínez, Border People: Life and Society in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands
Oscar Martínez's Border People: Life and Society in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands offers a typology of people who live on the US-Mexico border. It includes those who identify mostly with Mexico, those tho identify mostly with the US, and then those who live bicultural lives. He also distinguishes between old-timers and new-comers, and shows how people change over their lifetime, and move further north and settle in the US over time. He discusses the importance of having legal paperwork to cross into the US and how that shapes people's border experience.
Lily Zheng and Inge Hansen, The Ethical Sellout: Maintaining Your Integrity in the Age of Compromise
In The Ethical Sellout, Lily Zheng and Inge Hansen argue that people's identities often influence the career paths they take, but this can be costly because we live in a capitalist society. Therefore, people who grapple with authenticity and staying true to their values often struggle with their work obligations and sometimes feel like they are choosing between paying their rent and sacrificing who they are. Zheng and Hansen give readers the tools to grapple with this reality and figure out how to make the best choice they can. The book includes case studies that give readers lessons they can apply in their own lives. Good read.
Patrick King, Stop People Pleasing: Be Assertive, Stop Caring What Others Think, Beat Your Guilt, & Stop Being a Pushover
I'm working on being more assertive after a failed trip to the post office last week. Basically they made us wait for hours to get my daughter's passport and I had to ask my mom to pull a Karen move so we could get to the front of the line. This book seemed kind of hokey at first, but it gives practical advice on why you need to speak up and even includes sample language on how to ask for what you want. Sorry, but no one already knows what you want and you have to tell them. It also talks about some of the reasons holding you back from asking for what you want and how some of these may go back to childhood. Either way, it tells you what to do about it now.
Stephanie Sword-Williams, F*ck Being Humble: Why Self-Promotion isn't a Dirty Word
I found this book on LinkedIn. It was an ordeal to buy the electronic version. I had to basically make up an Australian address because it's not available in the US. I also watched a webinar today led by the author that finally motivated me to launch my blog. Stephanie Sword-Williams explained that a lot of us wait for our projects to be perfect before we share them, and if you do that, you'll never do it. Better to launch it now and then improve as you go. She said that in six months you'll be horrified at your initial project, but that just means you're growing, and that's the goal anyway. So here goes something!