Blog #9: The Devil's Highway

“The Devil’s Highway”

 

            I wasn’t sure if I was suppose to write a review, or summarize the themes that are comprised in Luis Alberto Urrea’s “The Devil’s Highway”, I felt that to best complement the ostentatious nature of this book, would be to highlight the points of Urrea’s authorship that makes this work of literature great; the authors allegorical use of the Devil’s Highway as essence of mortality and procreation, financial debt of Mexican walkers, and how Mexicans add to the economy, despite the mainstream American consensus that they do not.

            At first, I felt that the description of the fourteen men who died in the desert, provided by Urrea was a cheap ploy on the emotions of the reader, describing socks, pants, belt buckles and the contents of what was in their pockets, however when you read the journey from Mexico, into the harsh reality of the desert with them, the articles of clothing and contents of their pockets, develop an intimacy between the dead and the reader. Urrea touches on all aspects of Mexican culture, economic struggle, Catholic deliverance and even making connections between Mexican identity and immigration policies. I found it interesting how Urrea explained the reasoning behind the high rate of fertility of the people who comprise most of the migrants, those of the lower caste. “…with a high rate of infant and childhood mortality, the lower castes, the workers and the tribal people of the Third World tended to rely on their own procreative gifts for survival. If one out of five died, that still left four to grow up and begin to work. When Madre y Padre became to old, ill, infirm, it was only the family that would protect them. No AARP or Medicare in the jungle.” (pg.45). This was an innovative, and fresh analysis at the high rate of fertility among the population.

            Interestingly, Urrea argues, and concedes different arguments. On page 179, the beginning of the chapter “Aftermath”, he states how the lack of immigration reform has resulted in economic losses to the United States, far exceeding the average finacial estimates given by the U.S. government. In page 217, Urrea states the billions of dollars the Mexican immigrants bring to the economy, and that without them the economy would not only go into a recession, and stagnate, but collapse altogether. “…Seventy-seven hospitals throughout the American southwest were losing $190 million in unpaid bills and tens of millions of these could be attributed to medical attention for illegals, including those dropped off by the Border Patrol…” The millions accumulate, for the cost of medical attention given, how many new agents and fences could have been built or in my opinion, how many millions could have been used to develop a fund to support legislative efforts for immigration reform, actually giving those reform efforts teeth for legislators to use. Money buys progress.

            Lastly, Urrea gained my respect, when in the end of his book, he did the one thing that people pay attention to the most. Numbers. Not only numbers, but numbers that involve money. “…lower wages, cheaper product, unclaimed federal taxes, unclaimed state taxes, unused social security… what about sales tax, gas tax, rent? Pampers, cigarette tax, beer. Tortillas.  Mars bars. Movie tickets. Running shoes. CDs. Over a liftime how much does it add to the American commonwealth…” It was in this instance that my perception changed regarding the issue of immigration. What was once a view skewed by mainstream news stories regarding violence of immigrant gang members, and crimes committed by illegal immigrants, in no instance, do those small, insignificant events eclipse the larger, dominant effort of the general population of over eight million who add value to the gross domestic product of the United States. Urrea would have made an impact in Farmingville. It would take three hours, (that’s as long as it took me) to read this book, and I believe some of the bigots at the Sachem Quality of Life would change their perception, or it would at least become assimilated into their own. I look at immigrants as a phenomenon that needs to be addressed by legislation in a way that benefits both the immigrants and the residents of our nation, progress. Progress is needed. Urrea has made strides in my individual life, just by using a few colorful words and prose, and an artistic insight into a conflict subject matter. If he changed one individual, he was successful. In my eyes, he changed my perception, and I intend to change others. It’s a domino effect began by the true story of the deaths of 14 mexican immigrants, who wished to make their lives better, and gave their lives for their families. I would call anyone one of them, or any immigrant like them, my neighbor.

- Miguel Ramirez Jr.