Just Like Us : The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America

This book offers a powerful account of four young Mexican women coming of age in Denver, two of whom have legal documentation, two of whom who don't, and the challenges they face as they attempt to pursue the American dream. Helen Thorpe tells the story of four high school students whose parents entered this country illegally from Mexico. All four of the girls have grown up in the United States, and all four want to live the American dream. As the girls attempt to make it into college, they discover that only the legal pair see a clear path forward. Their friendships start to divide along lines of immigration status.;Prom night -- Question mark -- Instantaneous rate of change -- Rise and fall -- Life's mighty question -- American woman -- Sympathy -- Crash test dummy -- Liar, liar, liar -- Breaking in -- Three tens and a nine -- Bad papers -- Talk radio -- Many dwelling places -- Salon Ocampo -- Black market -- Comal -- Manhunt -- Social inequality -- The concept of citizenship -- Sorority girls -- Friendly banter -- Auto theft -- Machismo -- Liberación -- Physical evidence -- Portrait of a pariah -- Yo pago impuestos -- Live from the border -- Caution -- Headwaters -- Tancredoland -- Guilty as charged -- Well-ordered society -- Blessing -- Surprise appearance -- Gun show -- Laugh now, cry later. A powerful and moving account of four young women from Mexico who have lived most of their lives in the United States and attend the same high school. Two of them have legal documentation and two do not. Just Like Us is their story. A stunning work of in-depth journalism in the tradition of Random Family , Helen Thorpe's Just Like Us takes us deep into an American subculture -- that of Mexican immigrants -- largely hidden from the mainstream. We meet four girls on the eve of their senior prom, in Denver, Colorado. Each is bright and ambitious and an excellent student. Their leader, Marisela, dazzles teachers during the day and spends her evenings checking groceries to help pay the bills. She dreams of college and a professional career -- but she doesn't have a green card or a Social Security number because her parents brought her across the border illegally. Marisela's best friend, Yadira, shares her predicament. But they spend all of their time with two girls who are legal -- Elissa, who was born in the United States, and Clara, who has a green card. Each of the girls views the others as her equals, yet the world does not treat them that way. Their situation becomes increasingly painful and complex as the four young women approach adulthood, and Marisela and Yadira watch their two legal friends gain opportunities that are not available to them. All four hold American aspirations, but only Clara and Elissa have the documents necessary to realize those hopes. Their friendship starts to divide along lines of immigration status. Then a political firestorm begins. An illegal immigrant commits a horrendous crime in Denver, and a local congressman seizes on the act as proof of all that is wrong with American society. Arguments over immigration rage fiercely, and the girls' lives play out against a backdrop of intense debate over whether they have any right to live in the country where they have grown up. This brilliant, fast-paced work of narrative journalism is a vivid coming-of-age story about girlhood, friendship, and, most of all, identity -- what it means to fake an identity, steal an identity, or inherit an identity from one's parents and country. No matter what one's opinions are about immigration, Just Like Us offers fascinating insight into one of our most complicated social issues today. The girls, their families, those who welcome them, and those who object to their presence all must grapple with the same deep dilemma: Who is an American? Who gets to live in America? And what happens when we don't agree? In this eye-opening and poignant true story about the experiences of four young Mexican women coming of age in Denver—two who have legal documentation, two who don't—Helen Thorpe "puts a human face on a frequently obtuse conversation" ( O, The Oprah Magazine ), exploring themes of identity and friendship and exposing the reality of life for many undocumented immigrants seeking the American dream. Just Like Us tells the story of four high school students whose parents entered this country illegally from Mexico. We meet the girls on the eve of their senior prom in Denver, Colorado. All four of the girls have grown up in the United States, and all four want to live the American dream, but only two have documents. As the girls attempt to make it into college, they discover that only the legal pair sees a clear path forward. Their friendships start to divide along lines of immigration status. Then the political firestorm begins. A Mexican immigrant shoots and kills a police officer. The author happens to be married to the Mayor of Denver, a businessman who made his fortune in the restaurant business. In a bizarre twist, the murderer works at one of the Mayor's restaurants—under a fake Social Security number. A local Congressman seizes upon the murder as proof of all that is wrong with American society and Colorado becomes the place where national arguments over immigration rage most fiercely. The rest of the girls' lives play out against this backdrop of intense debate over whether they have any right to live here. Just Like Us is a coming-of-age story about girlhood and friendship, as well as the resilience required to transcend poverty. It is also a book about identity—what it means to steal an identity, what it means to have a public identity, what it means to inherit an identity from parents. The girls, their families, and the critics who object to their presence allow the reader to watch one of the most complicated social issues of our times unfurl in a major American city. And the perspective of the author gives the reader insight into both the most powerful and the most vulnerable members of American society as they grapple with the same dilemma: Who gets to live in America? And what happens when we don't agree?

Just Like Us tells the story of four high school students whose parents entered this country illegally from Mexico. We meet the girls on the eve of their senior prom in Denver, Colorado. All four of the girls have grown up in the United States, and all four want to live the American dream, but only two have documents. As the girls attempt to make it into college, they discover that only the legal pair sees a clear path forward. Their friendships start to divide along lines of immigration status.

Then the political firestorm begins. A Mexican immigrant shoots and kills a police officer. The author happens to be married to the Mayor of Denver, a businessman who made his fortune in the restaurant business. In a bizarre twist, the murderer works at one of the Mayor’s restaurants—under a fake Social Security number. A local Congressman seizes upon the murder as proof of all that is wrong with American society and Colorado becomes the place where national arguments over immigration rage most fiercely. The rest of the girls’ lives play out against this backdrop of intense debate over whether they have any right to live here.

Just Like Us is a coming-of-age story about girlhood and friendship, as well as the resilience required to transcend poverty. It is also a book about identity—what it means to steal an identity, what it means to have a public identity, what it means to inherit an identity from parents. The girls, their families, and the critics who object to their presence allow the reader to watch one of the most complicated social issues of our times unfurl in a major American city. And the perspective of the author gives the reader insight into both the most powerful and the most vulnerable members of American society as they grapple with the same dilemma: Who gets to live in America? And what happens when we don’t agree?

Written by a gifted journalist, a powerful account of four young Mexican women coming of age in Denvertwo of whom have legal documentation, two of whom who dont and the challenges they face as they attempt to pursue the American dream. J ust Like Us takes readers on a compelling journey with four young Mexican-American women who have lived in the U.S. since childhood. Exploring not only the womens personal life stories, this book also delves deep into an American subculture and the complex and controversial politics that surround the issue of immigration. The story opens on the eve of the girls senior prom in Denver, Colorado. All four of the girls have grown up in the United States, all four want to make it into college and succeed, but only two have immigration papers. Meanwhile, after a Mexican immigrant shoots and kills a local police officer, Colorado becomes the place where national argu- ments over immigration rage most fiercely. As the girls lives play out against this backdrop of intense debate over whether they have any right to live here, readers will gain remarkable insight into both the power players and the most vulnerable members of society as they grapple with understanding one of the most complicated social issues of our times. Moving, timely, and passionately told, Just Like Us is a riv- eting story about girlhood, friendship, identity, and survival. Just Like Us Offers A Powerful Account Of Four Young Mexican Women Coming Of Age In Denver--two Of Whom Have Legal Documentation, Two Of Whom Who Don't--and The Challenges They Face As They Attempt To Pursue The American Dream. Instantaneous Rate Of Change. Prom Night -- Question Mark -- Instantaneous Rate Of Change -- Rise And Fall -- Life's Mighty Question -- American Woman -- Sympathy -- Crash Test Dummy. -- Many Dwelling Places. Liar, Liar, Liar -- Breaking In -- Three Tens And A Nine -- Bad Papers -- Talk Radio -- Many Dwelling Places -- Salon Ocampo -- Black Market -- Comal -- Manhunt -- Social Inequality -- The Concept Of Citizenship -- Sorority Girls -- Friendly Banter -- Auto Theft -- Machismo -- Liberación -- Physical Evidence -- Portrait Of A Pariah -- Yo Pago Impuestos -- Live From The Border -- Caution. -- Lo Que Pasó Pasó (what Happened Happened). Headwaters -- Tancredoland -- Guilty As Charged -- Well-ordered Society -- Blessing -- Surprise Appearance -- Gun Show -- Laugh Now, Cry Later. Helen Thorpe. Introduction pt. I. Instantaneous rate of change 1. Prom night 2. Question mark 3. Instantaneous rate of change 4. Rise and fall 5. Life's mighty question 6. American woman 7. Sympathy 8. Crash test dummy pt. II. Many dwelling places 1. Liar, liar, liar 2. Breaking in 3. Three tens and a nine 4. Bad papers 5. Talk radio 6. Many dwelling places 7. Salon Ocampo 8. Black market 9. Comal 10. Manhunt 11. Social inequality 12. The concept of citizenship 13. Sorority girls 14. Friendly banter 15. Auto theft 16. Machismo 17. Liberación 18. Physical evidence 19. Portrait of a pariah 20. Yo pago impuestos 21. Live from the border 22. Caution pt. III. Lo que pasó pasó (What happened happened) 1. Headwaters 2. Tancredoland 3. Guilty as charged 4. Well-ordered society 5. Blessing 6. Surprise appearance 7. Gun show 8. Laugh now, cry later Epilogue Acknowledgments. This book offers a powerful account of four young Mexican women coming of age in Denver, two of whom have legal documentation, two of whom who don't, and the challenges they face as they attempt to pursue the American dream. Here the author tells the story of four high school students whose parents entered this country illegally from Mexico. All four of the girls have grown up in the United States, and all four want to live the American dream. As the girls attempt to make it into college, they discover that only the legal pair see a clear path forward. Their friendships start to divide along lines of immigration status Traces the journeys of four young Mexican women coming of age in Denver whose prospects for college and careers are shaped by their immigration statuses and heated debates about the rights of legal and illegal immigrants