As a white male born in the United States, this is a humbling, eye opening story about the struggles and injustices asylum seekers face on their journey for freedom and a better life.
Rating: 4.5/5
Check it out: GOODREADS or AMAZON
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Who we are, why things are the way they appear to be—all the answers we seek are rarely close at hand. You must be willing to become lost in order to become free.
- In order to reach the United States, Razak would have to fly from Brazil to Panama, then travel from Panama to Costa Rica by foot and bus, passing into Nicaragua and then onto Honduras, Guatemala, then finally through Mexico and onto the U.S— A total of seven border crossings without documents. Crossing one border would be difficult enough, but seven seemed unimaginable.
- More than 4,000 migrants died worldwide each year in these human smuggling operations, though this number was only an approximation at best.
- On average, only 25,000 applicants out of a backlog of more than 200,000 cases each year are ever granted asylum, and many of those awarded asylee status are those individuals able to afford a lawyer to help them win their pleas.
- Whoever has money has a voice. Whoever has money has power. Whoever has money has justice.
Bullet Point Reading 