Author Rubén Martínez will present and discuss his book, “Crossing Over: A Mexican Family On The Migrant Trail” in a virtual event for the Pasadena Public Library from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday.
In “Crossing Over,” Martínez puts a human face on the phenomenon, following the exodus of the Chávez clan, an extended Mexican family with the grim distinction of having lost three sons in a tragic border incident. He charts the migrants’ progress from their small south-Mexican town of Cherán through the harrowing underground railroad to the tomato farms of Missouri, the strawberry fields of California, and the slaughterhouses of Wisconsin.
He also reveals the effects of immigration on the family left behind and offers a powerful portrait of migrant culture, an exchange that deposits hip hop in Indian villages while bringing Mexican pop to the northern plains. Far from joining the melting pot, Martinez argues, the migrants – as many as 7 million in the U.S. – are spawning a new culture that will alter both countries as Latin America and the U.S. come increasingly to resemble each other.
Martínez is a Los Angeles native and the son and grandson of immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador. He started his illustrious writing career as a writer and editor at L.A. Weekly, making him the first Latino on the staff. He later went on to contribute essays to National Public Radio and to work as a TV host for the L.A.-based politics and culture series “Life & Times,” for which he won an Emmy Award.
Now a professor at Loyola Marymount University, Martínez is the author of multiple award-winning books. His works predominantly revolve around immigrant life, globalization, and the culture and history of L.A.
To sign up for the free event, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/
For more information, call (626) 744-4066.
