Welcome to the new Amor and Exile blog!
This website will document the lengthy, emotional and complex process of writing a book about immigration—specifically about the deep, growing relationships between American citizens and immigrants who may not have all their papers in order. For nearly a year now, I (Nathaniel) have been documenting the trials and tribulations and also the joys and celebrations of half a dozen Americans who are involved with Mexican partners: husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. I am excited today to announce that one of the people whom I’ve been interviewing—a good friend from college—is contributing to the book as a co-author. Nicole Salgado will provide first-person accounts of her life “in exile” in Mexico as well as flashbacks to her life in the Bay Area, where she and Margo lived before they self-deported. She will also co-author this blog with me, providing another glimpse into her life in Mexico and the collaborative process we’ve devised for the book.
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The seed for this book was planted almost a decade ago when I (Nicole) first met, then married, and finally moved to Mexico with my husband Margarito. Nathaniel’s journalistic interest in the subject, and my personal interest in documenting our situation as a memoir became concrete ideas as early as 2007. So I was excited when Nathaniel got serious about authoring a book early last year, when he began interviewing other couples as well as us. At the time I was pregnant with our daughter. When Nathaniel pitched me the idea of becoming a coauthor, soon after our daughter was born, the timing for our story to emerge in my own words felt right. As you will see both here on our blog as well as in the book, life “in exile,” both in the U.S. and in Mexico, presents a unique set of challenges—as does writing about it. But I am more enthusiastic than ever to be bringing my perspective to the table.
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So bookmark this page, subscribe to our RSS feed or email newsletter and tell your friends and colleagues about us on Facebook and Twitter. We look forward to a healthy dialogue and hope that this site helps to set a new tone for the discussion over immigration in the United States.