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Borderlands and the Mexican American Story

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Until now, you've only heard one side of the story, about migrants crossing borders, drawn to the promise of a better life. In reality, Mexicans were on this land long before any borders existed. Here's the true story of America, from the Mexican American perspective.

A National Council of Teachers of English Honor Book


The Mexican American story is usually carefully presented as a story of immigrants: migrants crossing borders, drawn to the promise of a better life. In reality, Mexicans were on this land long before any borders existed. Their culture and practices shaped the Southwestern part of this country, in spite of relentless attempts by white colonizers and settlers to erase them.

From missions and the Alamo to muralists, revolutionaries, and teen activists, this is the true story of the Mexican American experience.


The Race to the Truth series tells the true history of America from the perspective of different communities. These books correct common falsehoods and celebrate underrepresented heroes and achievements. They encourage readers to ask questions and to approach new information thoughtfully. Check out the other books in the series: Colonization and the Wampanoag Story, Slavery and the African American Story, and Exclusion and the Chinese American Story.
  • HONOR | 2025
    NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
  • AWARD
    Junior Library Guild Selection
★ "A powerful must-read for students of North American history." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "A comprehensive and revelatory volume. This fills in gaps and turns history on its head. An absolute must for nonfiction collections." —School Library Journal, starred review

"[An] insightful overview of Mexican American history." —Booklist
David Dorado Romo is a writer, translator, musician, and historian from the American southwest. He is a "fronterizo," a person who grew up and lived on the border between the United States and Mexico. Steeped in the fronterizo spirit that strongly defines the attitudes of the U.S.-Mexico border region, Romo conducted a four-year search to document the important history of the area. The book that resulted from his work, Ringside Seat to a Revolution: An Underground Cultural History of El Paso and Juarez, 1893-1923, "is a vital historical work for the Southwest," commented Sergio Troncoso in the El Paso Times. View titles by David Dorado Romo
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About

Until now, you've only heard one side of the story, about migrants crossing borders, drawn to the promise of a better life. In reality, Mexicans were on this land long before any borders existed. Here's the true story of America, from the Mexican American perspective.

A National Council of Teachers of English Honor Book


The Mexican American story is usually carefully presented as a story of immigrants: migrants crossing borders, drawn to the promise of a better life. In reality, Mexicans were on this land long before any borders existed. Their culture and practices shaped the Southwestern part of this country, in spite of relentless attempts by white colonizers and settlers to erase them.

From missions and the Alamo to muralists, revolutionaries, and teen activists, this is the true story of the Mexican American experience.


The Race to the Truth series tells the true history of America from the perspective of different communities. These books correct common falsehoods and celebrate underrepresented heroes and achievements. They encourage readers to ask questions and to approach new information thoughtfully. Check out the other books in the series: Colonization and the Wampanoag Story, Slavery and the African American Story, and Exclusion and the Chinese American Story.

Awards

  • HONOR | 2025
    NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
  • AWARD
    Junior Library Guild Selection

Reviews

★ "A powerful must-read for students of North American history." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "A comprehensive and revelatory volume. This fills in gaps and turns history on its head. An absolute must for nonfiction collections." —School Library Journal, starred review

"[An] insightful overview of Mexican American history." —Booklist

Author

David Dorado Romo is a writer, translator, musician, and historian from the American southwest. He is a "fronterizo," a person who grew up and lived on the border between the United States and Mexico. Steeped in the fronterizo spirit that strongly defines the attitudes of the U.S.-Mexico border region, Romo conducted a four-year search to document the important history of the area. The book that resulted from his work, Ringside Seat to a Revolution: An Underground Cultural History of El Paso and Juarez, 1893-1923, "is a vital historical work for the Southwest," commented Sergio Troncoso in the El Paso Times. View titles by David Dorado Romo

Photos

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