The borders within : encounters between Mexico and the U.S. /

Monroy (Colorado College) has written many books on California history focusing on peoples of Mexican origin in the US (e.g., Rebirth, CH, Dec'99, 37-2358). Here, he ruminates about how these two national identities intertwine culturally and historically. Monroy's essays ponder how historical events have affected both the US and Mexico and led to the formation of the Mexican American. The essays are personal. The first, "NAFTA and the New World Border" (a play on words), ruminates about NAFTA's impact on undocumented Mexican immigrants. The author sets his reflections in the California missions and the contradictions of global diasporas determined by global capital. Monroy dissects opinions in the US: "Americans do not understand that forces in this country ... [create] the powerful class of narco-criminals ..." who control and pervert Mexico and Colombia (p. 25). The essays are filled with ironies. One of his favorite metaphors is Helen Hunt Jackson's Ramona and the paradoxes and contradictions between that story and the experiences of the undocumented workers who have replaced Indians as the toilers of California. Reading Monroy's rumination is refreshing; he has an excellent grasp of history and the issues confronting contemporary society. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. R. Acuna emeritus, California State University, Northridge