My Side Of The River: A Memoir by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez (Hardcover)

Nonfiction - Biography & Autobiography - Memoir - Political Science - Public Policy - Immigration

RELEASE DATE: 2/13/2024  (WILL SHIP DIRECTLY FROM OUR SUPPLIER'S WAREHOUSE)

In this galvanizing memoir, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez recounts her childhood as the U.S. born daughter of immigrants and what happened when, at fifteen, her parents were forced back to Mexico

Born to Mexican immigrants south of the Rillito River in Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth had the world at her fingertips as she entered her freshman year of high school as the number one student. But then, Elizabeth's own country took away the most important right a child has: a right to have a family. As her parents’ visas expired, they were forced to return to Mexico, leaving Elizabeth responsible for her younger brother, as well as her education. Determined to break the cycle of being “a statistic,” she knew that even though her parents couldn’t stay, there was no way she could let go of the opportunities the U.S. could provide.

Armed with only her passport and sheer teenage determination, Elizabeth became what her school would eventually describe as an unaccompanied, homeless youth, one of thousands of underage victims affected by family separation due to broken immigration laws. For fans of Educated by Tara Westover and The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande, My Side of the River explores separation, generational trauma, and the toll of the American dream. It’s also, at its core, a love story between a brother and a sister who, no matter the cost, is determined to make the pursuit of his own dreams easier than it was for her.

AUTHOR BIO: 

Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, as a second-generation immigrant. She graduated from high school at the top of her class and, in 2018, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. She worked as a banking analyst at Wells Fargo and is now a product manager at a big tech company, where she uses her background and knowledge to empower communities. She has been featured on NPR's Latino USA and delivered a viral TED Talk on finding opportunity and stability in the United States while examining flaws in narratives that simplify and idealize the immigrant experience. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

"Elizabeth Camarillo’s My Side of the River is the book that everyone should read to understand the depth of the strength and achievements of Latinos in the United States. Poignant and tender, hers is an inspiring journey that will most certainly illuminate the path for many others." —Rafael Agustin, author of Illegally Yours

"A brave, honest, heartbreaking, and educational memoir." —Justin Baldoni, star of Jane the Virgin and author of Man Enough