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Where I Belong
Title | Where I Belong |
Writer | |
Date | 2024-09-17 21:54:14 |
Type | |
Link | Listen Read |
Desciption
In the spring of 2018, Guatemalan-American high school senior Milagros “Millie” Vargas knows her life is about to change. She’s lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, ever since her parents sought asylum there when she was a baby. Now a citizen, Millie devotes herself to school and caring for her younger siblings while her mom works as a housekeeper for the wealthy Wheeler family. With college on the horizon, Millie is torn between attending her dream school and staying close to home, where she knows she’s needed. She’s disturbed by what’s happening to asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, but she doesn’t see herself as an activist or a change-maker. She’s just trying to take care of her own family.Then Mr. Wheeler, a U.S. Senate candidate, mentions Millie’s achievements in a campaign speech about “deserving” immigrants. It doesn’t take long for people to identify Millie’s family and place them at the center of a statewide immigration debate. Faced with journalists, trolls, anonymous threats, and the Wheelers' good intentions―especially those of Mr. Wheeler's son, Charlie―Millie must confront the complexity of her past, the uncertainty of her future, and her place in the country that she believed was home.
Review
Not only is the story of Millie Vargas—an immigrant teen from Guatemala thrust unexpectedly into the limelight of US socio-political debate—timely and poignant, but also authentic to both the Latina and teen experience. Like many teens, Millie isn’t looking to change the world, just to get by unnoticed. But responsibility is thrust upon her, and she rises to the occasion despite her own misgivings. Not every teen is a born rebel / activist, but when Millie at last decides to step up, the results are rousing. A pitch-perfect, authentic look at one of our most pressing issues.