First Crossing

I think you would enjoy this book. Please drop me a line if you like a story from this collection.

Crossing borders is an inherently risky undertaking. The very existence of a border implies a forbidden territory, whether it is geographical, legal, emotional, social, or physical, and crossing into that forbidden territory is dangerous. In spite of the danger, human beings are drawn to the other side of any given border. It may be for better living conditions, for freedom of action and thought, or because of a sense of adventure. Whatever the reasons, but people frequently cross borders. In these short stories, many limits are tested, many borders are crossed, and the end-result is often eye opening.

All of the stories tell the experiences of teen immigrants. An extraordinary array of characters highlights one or more aspects of each teen's heritage. There are stories of immigrants from Mexico, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Korea, Romania, and others. The teens are trying to assimilate into the culture of their adopted country while trying to keep the part of their birth culture alive. Not only are these teens struggling to fit into the dominant culture, they are trying to conform to their home culture too. The individual authors paint some memorable pictures of resilient teens caught between two strong forces. The stories invite readers to open their minds a little wider and think a little deeper. These are not simple tales of racism; they expose the xenophobia present among all of us.

The tone of each story is as varied as the cultures the stories represent. Some stories are downright humorous. Many of the stories are told from the point of view of the protagonist. I think this is appealing to teenagers, as well as to adults who have that long-lost teenager hidden within their hearts.

(originally posted at: Methods Class)