America was forged by immigrants and remains an aspiration for dreamers throughout the world. But many immigrants who wish to share and contribute to America's social fabric have often been met with hostility, racism, and xenophobia. Lost in the fierce political debates are the real human faces, stories, and aspirations of the men, women, and children who leave behind their homes in pursuit of the “American Dream.”
The Dare to Dream: Important Conversations about Immigration book talk series will explore immigrant stories through monthly discussions on the 4th Thursday of each month. Order your favorite meal and beverage from Busboys and Poets, set your table, and tune in for a special gathering of minds with authors.
We will be discussing his latest book, The Dispossessed: A Story of Asylum at the US-Mexican Border and Beyond. The Dispossessed tells the story of a twenty-four-year-old Salvadoran man, Arnovis, whose family’s search for safety shows how the United States—in concert with other Western nations—has gutted asylum protections for the world’s most vulnerable. Crisscrossing the border and Central America, John Washington traces one man’s quest for asylum. Arnovis is separated from his daughter by US Border Patrol agents and struggles to find security after being repeatedly deported to a gang-ruled community in El Salvador, traumatic experiences relayed by Washington with vivid intensity.
We are excited to announce that this discussion will be facilitated by Noah Habeeb. Noah Habeeb works at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) in New York, where he directs an asylum clinic for LGBTQ/H asylum seekers in coalition with Seeking Asylum Finding Empowerment (SAFE), RUSA-LGBT and New Sanctuary Coalition (NSC). His writing has appeared in the Nation, Tikkun, Truthout and publications of the Institute for Policy Studies, as well as in the book Reclaiming Judaism from Zionism.
Click here to order your copy of one or more of John Washington’s books to ship to your home, or email books@busboysandpoets.com if you would like to place a special order for in-store pickup
