New Book “American Dirt” Controversy and the Mexican Immigrant Story
A new novel, American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, has won industry praise and accolades for its story of a desperate Mexican mother and son who are trying to reach the United States – and charges of racism and cultural appropriation.
American Dirt: A Novel was released to bookstores last week and has already received major recognition and support:
- debuted at #2 on USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books List
- #4 on Amazon’s best-seller list during the first week of sales
- selected for Oprah’s Book Club
- glowing book reviews
- praised by Stephen King, Gina Rodriguez, Sandra Cisneros, Salma Hayek, Don Winslow and John Grisham
- 7-figure advance to the author
- film rights acquired
The heart of the controversy is the claim that the author, who is white but has a Puerto Rican grandmother, and publisher are using the Latino culture and American border tragedies to sell books and make a profit.
As a result of the growing and very public criticism of American Dirt,
- the publisher has canceled the author’s book tour due to security concerns
- celebrities including Selma Hayek have withdrawn their endorsement
- Latinx writers, advocates and public figures have spoken out against the book, author and publisher for racism, cultural appropriation, stereotyping and insensitivity
Latino public figures and advocates are calling the American Dirt controversy a wake-up call to the need for accurate representation and voice from the Latino community and immigration experience.
Mario Godoy and the experienced immigration attorneys at the Godoy Law Office have experience in many different types of immigration cases Contact an immigration lawyer today to discuss your situation at 855-554-6369.