Controversy over this book

I read this book as soon as it was sent to me and thoroughly enjoyed it. It touched on so many emotions and several times I cried while reading It. It answered many questions I had about the difficulties immigrants face going to America. I didn't realize or think how so many people would be offended by a "white woman" writing this. I was shocked to learn that the author's life was threatened for writing this book and some of her book tours were canceled for her safety. What are your feelings about the controversy surrounding this book?

I totally agree. I understand the prejudice the Latin/Mexican authors endured in getting their stories published and read. However, I think this author did a masterful job of not making it her story and wanting to expand readers understanding of that migrants are from all different backgrounds.

I also agree. I thought the book was well researched and written. I loved the book. I’m really upset by the people that won’t even read it but are willing to write slamming reviews. What about all the books that are written by women in the voices of men and visa versa. How about the multitude of books on the concentration camps that are written by people who weren’t even there. I just find this unbelievable.

Really don’t agree with the critics concerning the author and her book,this is happening right now. The more attention brought to this subject the better imho

I am surprised by the viciousness of the attacks on the author. Writers of fiction -- good ones -- frequently enter worlds they do not inhabit on a day -to=day basis when they write. Cummins has done extensive research and has treated her characters with care and respect. Based on the critics' standards, men could never create female characters, and Latinas could never write in any voice other than their own. I understand and sympathize with the struggle of female Latin writers for reasonable pay for the work, and that problem should be addressed -- but not at the expense of silencing other voices.

I agree with a lot of the well-reasoned criticisms of the novel. That doesn't mean I didn't appreciate the author's efforts in writing the book. One positive outcome of the controversy is the wide-ranging dialog that has begun. I bookmark articles daily about the book and the conversations it has engendered. I especially appreciate those book sellers who are continuing to sell the novel by displaying it among books by Latinx authors. Here's a very general overview article I read recently: https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3667#m47327

I thought this was a well written and well researched book. The criticism of this book has been nasty and in my opinion, unjustified. It is fiction and doesn’t have to mean that the author ever lived in that world. We read books about women that are written about men - how is that any different? However, I do appreciate the dialogue that has opened up about this issue and think its much needed.

I was very much surprised with all of the controversy over this book. And especially about the author receiving death threats. I haven't finished reading it yet, but, it sounds like she did her research and I do think that people forget that this is "fiction" -- it's not a non-fiction book so as an author writing fiction I think that gives them some liberty to create the book as they wish.......just my opinion!

It's funny, I predicted that this book would be deemed controversial, but for different reasons. I thought it would stir up people who have more conservative views of immigration. I also thought there would be criticism for the author writing a story in which the characters are truly seeking asylum, suggesting that all undocumented immigrants in this country are in the same situation.

Full disclosure- I know nothing about the world of publishing. In following the controversy, I have learned that the publishing industry has a reputation for having no racial and/or ethnic diversity. Given my naivete, I'm not sure if I'm qualified to weigh in on the controversy or not. I was lucky to hear the author at her first speaking engagement for the book (Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN). She was very genuine, and conceded that some of the criticism is valid. She also defended herself. She took questions from the room for nearly 45 minutes. Would I have been brave enough to do that? Not sure.

Boring stories that don't move us aren't controversial.

I was very excited to receive this book and started reading it as soon as I got it. When I finished it, I happily recommended it to all my friends and one of them brought up the controversy. Whenever I read fiction, I take it as such, not really expecting it to be factual or truthful. Since all the criticism has become so prevalent, I’ve stopped recommending it and keep quiet about reading it. Now I’m embarrassed that I liked it so much and question what that says about me. I’m also resentful that the uproar has made me question myself, to be honest. I would have preferred to read American Dirt as a fictional story and gone about my merry little life, but I realize I can’t because there are people I need to listen to and words I need to hear.

I had started reading this book when I became aware of the various media conversations about the book and its portrayals of the main characters, immigration policy in general, and the presumed intentions of the author. I don’t know from personal experience what it’s like to be an immigrant. However, I can imagine what it must be like to have to flee your comfort zone (country), running for your life with your loved one, to an unknown future, depending on the mercy of strangers for your survival. For me, there is no controversy in empathizing with the universal human condition.

I think it’s important to understand that most of the criticism of this book hasn’t amounted to saying the author shouldn’t have written it at all: Some has been about the book promoting Mexican stereotypes, some has been about how Cummins described her own role in shedding light on immigration issues, and plenty has been regular criticism about the writing itself. This article does a good job of summarizing: https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/american-dirt-book-controversy/

Of course authors have the right to write fiction, just as critics have the right to write criticism. But marginalized people are often depicted by default as being the violent and unreasonable ones in any scenario. I don’t see how you can separate the issues raised by the book from the concerns of actual people affected by immigration policies and the structural racism that drives them. I don’t think this has to conflict with enjoyment of the book or that there’s any reason for people to feel embarrassed or guilty for liking it. As ABeman pointed out, the controversy is an opportunity for positive discussion and learning.

I think there are a lot of valid concerns being expressed with regard to this book, and many of them are not direct criticism of the author, who is, of course, entitled to write outside of her own personal experience. The issue seems more to me about Jeanine Cummins being held up as an authority on the subject of immigration when she simply isn't one and her book has some inaccuracies that prove this. This is not entirely her fault, though she might have handled the whole uproar a little better. I don't think anyone ought to feel bad about enjoying the book or recommending it, and I profoundly respect anyone that has done so and then thoughtfully engaged with the criticism afterward. There are a lot of great lists out there of books written by Latinx authors about immigration/border crossing that I think people ought to read alongside (not necessarily instead of!) American Dirt for a more comprehensive understanding.

Reyna Grande, who wrote about her own experience migrating to the United States, was rejected 27 or 28 times before being accepted for publication. She received an advance of $20,000 when her book was finally picked up. She was not critical of Cummins' book, but more of the industry as a whole. We have seen the same thing happen in recent years with the Oscar awards, as women and actors/directors/producers of color have been overlooked for honors and are finally asking "What gives?" I don't think this issue has anything to do with the book, per se, but rather who still has the most opportunity to succeed in the United States.

***warning: graphic description of actual events***
My intention is not to offend; many of the "stereotypes" Cummins wrote about are what those of us who are familiar with Mexico already know. I volunteer frequently in Guaymas, Sonora. Two years ago, the Municipal Police handed over the nephews of a prominent cartel leader to his rival cartel. Within three months, five of those officers were dead--shot down in the middle of the street in broad daylight. A year later, nine police were killed within a week, and 40% of the police force resigned. This past September the ex-girlfriend of a cartel member was shot point blank in the face five times as she arrived at work. Two weeks later, State Police were ambushed and killed a block from where this happened. There are "narcomantas" (large sheets of canvas with threatening messages) hung in prominent locations throughout Guaymas. The Marines and National Guard are now protecting the citizens. In spite of this, 19 men were killed in Guaymas in January of this year. Cartels are displacing indigenous populations in the Sierra Madres, taking over gas pipelines, involving themselves in illegal logging in Monarch butterfly sanctuaries (and murdering environmental activists), and wrestling control of the avocado trade. The Cartels are real. They are powerful. Thy operate with impunity. Did Cummins screw up the meaning of "la lechuza" and use the term "bogeyman" instead of El Cucuy? Yes, she did. But there is a lot she did right as well.

I have also seen many migrants (using the "Pacific Route) at traffic lights in Guaymas with posters asking for help. And I have seen so many people hand them money, bags of food, even a warm jacket. And Cummins was equally fair to all those in Mexico who are doing everything they can to help migrants along the way- -establishing shelters, protecting them as they exit the train and walk into cities, feeding them, and opening the gates so they have an easier time climbing aboard La Bestia.

There were two blog articles that were downright hostile to Cummins personally. I read comments in Goodreads reviews that said "White women will feel proud of themselves for their empathy and compassion in picking up this book." "Clueless white people love American Dirt, insightful people of color hate it." "White people will likely love it because it makes them feel like they have learned something."

I hope EVERYONE who reads this book or another own voices book on the same topic feels empathy and compassion. melanieb stated it perfectly, " For me, there is no controversy in empathizing with the universal human condition."

I see the point of own voices writers in publishing but I also think works of fiction come from the imagination along with the help of research and hard work. For that reason, I think anyone can write about anything but the publishing industry does need to try harder to be more inclusive. This is not the fault of the author.
That said, some of the publicity events for this book were completely tone deaf and that was a shame.

I did not start reading this book until after the "controversy" came to light, and I still enjoyed it. That does not mean I do not empathize with the struggles of writers whose works are still rejected, nor does it mean that I am not upset by the lack of diversity in published writers. As other people pointed out above, it is fiction. As soon as I read that word, I assume some liberties will be taken. It is unfortunate that, as acstrine pointed out, some of the blogs went so far as to generalize about "clueless white people" and "insightful people of color." To me, that becomes incredibly hypocritical and divisive. I do, however, agree that the publisher should have made better decisions when it can to the publicity events.

I was surprised at the controversy. The negative reviews I read were often crude and hateful, and most seemed like they hadn’t really read the book or anything about the author’s research or her knowledge of immigration. I was particularly surprised that so many reviewers called Cummins a racist. How?

I believe people criticize what they are afraid of, and in this case they may be afraid of the humanizing that this book gives to the migrants coming to the U.S. "If I don't accept it, it's not real" and if ?I condemn it I'll give it less power." I'd say the book is making its mark and making people think. I thought it showed that many of the people of Mexico were sympathetic and helpful to the migrants. I identified with these characters as people, no different from myself. Perhaps those criticizing are really criticizing society for not stepping up, not voicing outrage, not demanding change in our system and see this book as not going far enough. It's a novel, it always takes courage to write about controversial topics.

I appreciated the discussions but thought that the hateful reactions were unwarranted. It is a work of fiction that was just too implausible to take seriously. Some examples of these instances are as follows: Luca just happens to be a geography savant; Sebastián calmly accepts that his wife loves another man; a thirty-plus-year-old mother, with no noted athletic abilities, repeatedly jumps unharmed from a bridge onto a train without injury; Lydia and Luca escape a cartel-influenced patrol, even after Luca sasses the leader, Lydia just happens to have enough money to pay for the girls’ freedom; plus, a flash flood strikes just as they are navigating a canyon. All of this makes for a good tale, but not one that should incur such wrath.

I think the response to this book comes under bullying. Why do you have to be from a certain race of people to write a book. It is so hateful to threaten someone because you do not like how and what they have written. I loved this book and find many things not plausible, but thought the story was a page turner and IT IS FICTION. I think the publishing house made some errors. They portrayed the author's husband as an illegal immigrant and everyone thought that meant Mexican.. but no he is an irishman. They also lead you to believe she was of latino descent.
When she did the book party they had barbwire center pieces which angered people and frankly I thought was in poor taste.

I am glad that BookBrowse had the conviction to discuss this novel. I do wonder how many of the critics have read the authors note at the end. The research that went into the novel and the authors sensitivity about telling the story were very professional. I am not sure how the publishing world works, but I do feel that a Latino writer who tried to have an excellent novel on this topic published would be very successful.

I wish I hadn't been aware of the controversy before reading this book, as it definitely colored my interpretation of it.

I don't think the criticism the author has received is justified; authors have written from others' points of view since pen met paper. Sometimes they're successful in their ability to convey a character's thoughts and circumstances, sometimes not. I kinda put this one in the middle; it's not a masterpiece, but it's not bad, either.

I think what struck a nerve in this case, though, is the acclaim the book received, when other, more authentic accounts have been ignored. Had the book not been an Oprah pick, I think it would have sold reasonably well but wouldn't have attracted the fire it has.

I didn't like the book when I started it - before I heard about the controversy. I have read many better and more realistic portrayals re: immigration from Mexico/South America - both fiction and non-fiction. As to the comments about bullying towards the author, a journalist was able to confirm that Cummins never in fact received death threats - it seems to be one of many things the publisher exaggerated or lied about. She received a 7-figure advance, while many Latinx authors have received far less for sharing their own stories (if they were able to at all). When you add in some of the publisher's distasteful choices (such as the book release party centerpieces that incorporated barbed wire into the floral arrangements) - it seems like the publisher has some apologizing and growing to do. I was hoping for a character-driven novel but I found this to feel like a cat and mouse thriller, which is not a genre I enjoy. The relationship between Lydia and the drug cartel boss felt very contrived, too.

I am shocked about the fact the author had to cancel her tour and some people are upset. I thought it was well written and gave me a knowledge of how difficult it is for the immigrants to get to America.

I understand that many people feel the author was out of place in writing about an experience she had not lived herself. She expresses her own doubts in the author’s note at the end, which she ends with the thought, If you’re a person who has the capacity to be a bridge, why not be a bridge?

But if we limit authors to only those experiences they have personally held, while we would theoretically gain authenticity, we would lose entire genres because most authors have never been to space, battled a fantastical creature, or lived during a past historical period. It is not uncommon for skilled authors to effectively write about a time, place or event that they have not personally experienced. It would be a travesty to cage authors into the unimaginative realm of their personal reality.

This novel had me, someone far removed from the character’s situation, not only thinking more deeply about the plight of migrants daily but also considering immigration from a drastically different light than what is presented in the news and general media. This is the magic that powerful books are capable of - they are catalysts for change.

The truth about American Dirt, the controversial recent selection for Oprah’s book club, is that it is a worthwhile, engaging and thought-provoking novel that is easily recommended to other readers. Is diversity important in literary publishing? Of course. Should there specifically be more Latino authors getting published? Yes, please! Is our country in need of immigration reform? Certainly. Does any of this take away from the excellence of this novel? No, it does not. As an esteemed scholar, Norma Prieto, told the author, “We need as many voices as we can get, telling this story.”

I read this book before looking at any reviews, criticisms or positive comments. I chose to read this book because I personally knew someone from Vera Cruz who experienced many of the same hardships while coming north with an experienced coyote years ago.
One of the Bookbrowse reviewers hit the nail on the head when comparing authors of fiction not always having experience about what they write about, i.e., not personally experiencing a concentration camp. Or what about an author that writes a novel about a country they haven't lived in? Or a thousand other works of fiction in the author's mind? THIS.BOOK.WAS.LABELED.FICTION. Maybe it was too realistic for the critics. IMHO the writing showed that the author did her research.
Another reviewer stated that she was embarrassed that she liked the book so much; and now with the controversy, she doesn't even admit to reading it. DO NOT BE EMBARRASSED. In my opinion, this was a great read and a great book.

I had finished the book before the controversy came about! Maybe I would have thought about the portrayal of the characters more if I had read all the negative comments. But the way I look at it is that it's fiction and the author wrote the book the way she wanted to. Why do we need to criticize her for that? And if people don't want to read it because of that, then they are missing out on a great read!

I read this book before the controversy erupted. I found the novel very moving and transformative. I thought then that it might be controversial because of the subject matter: illegal immigration and the feelings iengendered on this subject. We live in a very divided country now and I thought that some people might object to the views on immigration expressed in American Dirt. But I was shocked to hear of the violence directed at the author and booksellers. There are two issues that I think need to be considered. One is that an author does not have to draw totally from his/her own personal experiences or background to write about a subject unless it is a memoir or autobiography. If that was a requirement then many great books would not exist today. That does not often preclude the need for research in a book like this. The other issue is the idea that this book is fiction and the author should be able to write creatively regardless of background. Very sad that this has happened to this wonderful book and gifted author!

I already commented on this post, but wanted to respond to people who felt the book was ok because it was fictional - the problem isn't just that she didn't experience what she wrote about, it's that the book is being touted as the seminal immigrant experience, when in fact it bears little resemblance to the typical immigration experience. Lydia is from a successful middle class family, she had a relationship with the cartel boss, she experienced an unusual level of violence, etc. Just because Cummins claims she researched it doesn't mean she researched it well or wrote a book that represents Mexican Americans. There are many false things in the book from small details to overarching themes. I worry that people will read this book and think it's emblematic of many people's experiences. I've read many non-fiction books and watched documentaries on the subject and found I Cummins' book rather ridiculous. I also think it's offensive that she implied she was married to a Latino immigrant when her husband in fact emigrated from Ireland.

I think the whole controversy ridiculous. If the concern is the outlandish 'cultural appropriation' argument then those arguing this should immediately push to have all Shakespeare removed from libraries. In addition, they should begin the process to have Geraldine Brooks Pulitzer for 'March' rescinded. She had the nerve to write as a man!
I, personally, am sick of people pushing all of us into specific categories and increasing the labeling of people. 'American Dirt' is an excellent book and should be celebrated as such without the the 'cultural appropriation' police telling us who should and should not write about any and all topics.

When I first heard the controversy around AD, I was concerned because we(the reading community) have certainly loved other authors who told stories that weren't theirs by firsthand experience. For me, this was especially relevant when JoJO Moyes wrote Me Before You as an author without a spinal cord injury. While I have a spinal cord injury, I liked that she brought awareness to some of the issues we deal with. I also thought in her authors note, she addressed some of the very issues of her critics. One thing I have not been able to figure out, is the Mexican stereotypes she perpetrated. I feel bad that this author has gotten such negative backlash. I do hope that the publishing industry examines why #ownvoices authors have had the hard time they have had getting published and makes changes. I also did not appreciate the barbed wire as a decoration at the AD release party!

I read American Dirt when I first got my ARC....the controversies never occurred to me. After hearing the issues, I was embarrassed that who the author was or her history had not even crossed my mind but, in retrospect, it would not have changed my opinion. The book was a compelling read and that was what was important. Cummins never passed it off as non-fiction, she never hid her identity and she did impeccable research. She kept us with her the entire journey and her characters were believable (good and bad).

If the complaints were legitimate does that mean we have to dismiss all novelists who write from a point-of-view that is a gender opposite their own (One of the most popular novels in recent years was Memoirs of a Geisha written by a man!)

I think it's worth referring back to ElisabethC's Feb 9 post and particularly the article she links to.

In short, very few, if any, professional reviewers, criticize the book because it is written by a white person, their issues are more nuanced, for example, with how the publisher positioned the book.

To quote https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/american-dirt-book-controversy, what happened next was that "as often happens in our online culture, this argument was quickly flattened and distorted. The most reductive and harmful summary of the numerous critiques of American Dirt is that her detractors are asserting that Cummins’s whiteness should preclude her from writing about people of color. But while there are a few people out there claiming that authors should never write outside of their lived experiences, they’re mostly a fringe group. To the book’s most cogent critics it doesn’t matter at all that Cummins is white."

I was surprised to hear that someone had taken issue with the writing of this book. It is a true story which was well documented by its author. Because the author is not Mexican seems to be the issue. It is fiction Get over it.

I was treasuring the book and finding it beautifully written before the controversy came out. I was disappointed as I felt that this was fiction and should not be subjected to a purity test. It did put a bit of a damper on it for me, as how could it not. This book got a tremendous amount of pre-pub publicity and I felt that that was the problem. That's the publishing industry, but unfair to the author and the readers of this book. Why does this book have to be the definitive, most authentic version of the immigrant experience? Readers of fiction aren't stupid and understand what that means. Lydia realizes she has become a migrant, having never envisioned herself in that situation. This experience is unique. Again...it's fiction. I loved how the author seamlessly went back and forth between Lydia's and Luca's thoughts. What I did find curious was how the middle class residents of Acapulco were able to go about their business at all in the violence plagued city at that time. Had this book not received as much attention as it did, it would simply be a lovely book that falls under the media radar.