Migrant Imaginaries

By contextualizing the so called immigration of Mexicans in terms of their history on and with the land, Camacho casts light on an often ignored perspective. By writing from this point of view, she challenges anti-immigration sentiments, suggesting that Mexicans' investment in the SW pre- and post- Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo makes them feel not necessarily ownership of but a right to exist on these lands. As such, much of Camacho's argument deals with how identity as a Mexican significantly derives from land rights, and this identity is expressed through cultural movements and representations (e.g. song and myth). In this way, the book provides an alternative way in which to view the dissonance between what some U.S. citizens see as theirs and what many Mexicans feel they have a right to because of the rich history and involvement with the land. Ultimately, Migrant Imaginaries points out the double standards of anti-immigration sentiment in consideration of the Mexican-American relationship and history.