Waiting for José : the Minutemen's pursuit of America

A revealing look inside a controversial movement They live in the suburbs of Tennessee and Indiana. They fought in Vietnam and Desert Storm. They speak about an older, better America, an America that once was, and is no more. And for the past decade, they have come to the U.S. / Mexico border to hunt for illegal immigrants. Who are the Minutemen? Patriots? Racists? Vigilantes? Harel Shapira lived with the Minutemen and patrolled the border with them, seeking neither to condemn nor praise them, but to understand who they are and what they do. Challenging simplistic depictions of these men as right-wing fanatics with loose triggers, Shapira discovers a group of men who long for community and embrace the principles of civic engagement. Yet these desires and convictions have led them to a troubling place. Shapira takes you to that placea stretch of desert in southern Arizona, where he reveals that what draws these men to the border is not simply racism or anti-immigrant sentiments, but a chance to relive a sense of meaning and purpose rooted in an older life of soldiering. They come to the border not only in search of illegal immigrants, but of lost identities and experiences. "They live in the suburbs of Tennessee and Indiana. They fought in Vietnam and Desert Storm. They speak about an older, better America, an America that once was, and is no more. And for the past decade, they have come to the U.S. / Mexico border to hunt for illegal immigrants. Who are the Minutemen? Patriots? Racists? Vigilantes? Harel Shapira lived with the Minutemen and patrolled the border with them, seeking neither to condemn nor praise them, but to understand who they are and what they do. Challenging simplistic depictions of these men as right-wing fanatics with loose triggers, Shapira discovers a group of men who long for community and embrace the principles of civic engagement. Yet these desires and convictions have led them to a troubling place. Shapira takes you to that place--a stretch of desert in southern Arizona, where he reveals that what draws these men to the border is not simply racism or anti-immigrant sentiments, but a chance to relive a sense of meaning and purpose rooted in an older life of soldiering. They come to the border not only in search of illegal immigrants, but of lost identities and experiences"-- Provided by publisher They live in the suburbs of Tennessee and Indiana. they fought in Vietnam and Desert Storm. They speak about an older, better America, and for the past decade, they have come to the U.S.-Mexico border to hunt for illegal immigrants. Who are the Minutemen? Are they Patriots? Racists? Vigilantes? The author patrolled the border with them, seeking to understand who they are. challenging simplistic depictions of these men as right-wing fanatics, the author discovers a group of men who long for community and embrace the principles of civic engagement. Yet these desires and convictions have led them to a troubling place. The author takes you to that place - a stretch of desert in southern Arizona, where he reveals that what draws these men to the border is not simply racism or anti-immigrant sentiments, but a chance to relive a sense of meaning and purpose rooted in an older life of soldiering. Now with a new afterword by the author, this book brings understanding to a group of people in search of lost identities and experiences CONTENTS 8 The Minutemen Chain of Command 9 Acknowledgments 12 Preface: A Place on the Border 16 INTRODUCTION 28 All Quiet on the Southern Front 28 CHAPTER 1 54 American Dreams 54 CHAPTER 2 66 Camp Vigilance 66 CHAPTER 3 100 Gordon and His Guns 100 CHAPTER 4 124 Scenes from the Border 124 CHAPTER 5 152 Encounters 152 CONCLUSION 172 Belonging in America 172 Appendix: A Note on Methodology 180 Notes 190 Works Cited 198 Index 202