The Dispossessed

Reviews / Votes

In an era of massive and unprecedented human migration, John Washington documents in his poignant book, The Dispossessed: A Story of Asylum at the US-Mexico Border and Beyond, how the poverty and violence powerful nations inflict on poor countries is a major reason so many flee their lives and families. Offering expansive historical analysis of how ancient religions, cultures, and societies understood the imperative of welcoming the outsider, particularly those seeking safety from harm or death, and contrasting it with our current world order, Washington has written one of the most important books of our time on one of the most dire systematic injustices on our planet. I read this book in one sitting because I simply couldn't put it down. -- Jeremy Scahill, author of Dirty Wars John Washington delivers an absorbing, harrowing, and deeply moving reportage that renders the most thorough and critical assessment of the U.S. asylum system that I have ever read. -- Todd Miller, author of Empire of Borders John is a rarity in the world of Central American migration. He travels with humility and seeks to understand, not to reaffirm his hypotheses. He keeps at it, he's been doing it for years, he doesn't parachute into tragedy. When he asks questions, he seeks answers. If there's an American should say something about asylum, it is him. John is a Caronte, he crosses the river and understands both sides, which is why this book should be read, because there are few people who understand this story's complexity. I've been covering migration in Central America, Mexico, and the United States for 13 years, and I can say with complete conviction: read this book--someone wrote it who has a lot to tell, and has told it masterfully.

Nobody would have read my book in the United States if it weren't for John. Ten years ago he understood that I had something to say about migration. He understood a decade ago something that I didn't. John is patient, meticulous, obsessive. First he understands--like few do--and then he writes. This is a book from someone who has been understanding for a long time, and now that he's come to write this book, he's done so with mastery, with patience, with humility, and without cliche. This book was written by a true expert about a topic that many pretend to understand -- Oscar Martinez, author of The Beast The Dispossessed is one of the most beautiful and wrenching books I've read in a long time. We are becoming a stateless world, as the combined effects of climate change, war, and struggles of resources push people from their land and their homes. John Washington's book offers no easy answers, but in its empathy, it is a guide for how we confront the crisis with decency. -- Greg Grandin, author of The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America The Dispossessed is one book that you will not soon forget. -- Skye Anderson * Patch * Even if so much of what makes the book riveting is patently awful or evil, Washington's narrative is a crucial read for anyone interested in immigration policy or border dynamics. -- Russell Crandall * Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books *