The Book of Rosy: A Mother's Story of Separation at the Border
Rosayra Pablo Cruz & Julie Schwietert Collazo
|
The Book of Rosy is the story of Rosayra Pablo Cruz, a mother of four from Guatemala who fled to the U.S. seeking asylum, co-written by Julie Schwietert Collazo, the cofounder of Immigrant Families Together. Going back three generations, the women in Rosayra’s family knew all too well the trauma of losing their loved ones too early, of being the breadwinner in a war-stricken, male-dominated country, and most of all, the hunger and hopelessness that drives desperate acts of survival. In life-threatening circumstances, Rosayra, or “Rosy,” seizes the opportunity to flee to the U.S. with her youngest child. Barely scraping by in the U.S., but relatively safe, Rosy has a change in plans when her family starts receiving death threats to her teenaged son in Guatemala. Rosy has no choice but to make the reverse journey, and back north again, to save her child’s life. Although the first journey was filled with its own terrors and near-death experiences, Rosy never could have imagined what was in store. She flees for the second time with her two sons in 2018, during the Trump administration’s “Zero Tolerance” policy. Imprisoned in the inhumane conditions of an ICE detention center with her sons, Rosy is then separated from her children. With no idea where they are or when they will see each other again, Rosy relies heavily on her faith to endure this hardest part of her journey. |
Hope comes to her unexpectedly when her story crosses paths with a DUI lawyer turned pro bono immigration lawyer and a group of social media-savvy moms who are not only outraged at the cruelty of family separation, but willing to leverage their resources to reunite mothers with their children. Julie Schwietert Collazo finds herself suddenly at the helm of an unofficial, but complex and rapidly growing organization headquartered in her own living room. What started as a “wild idea” to take action against an immigration policy becomes a long-haul effort to help Rosy and other refugees in their fight for a dignified existence.
At its core, Rosy’s story is about faith, sacrifice, and what it means to show up for other people when it counts. The memoir not only shines a light on the inhumanity and long-lasting trauma of U.S. immigration policy, but also the power of individuals who simply decide to do what is right at any cost.
At its core, Rosy’s story is about faith, sacrifice, and what it means to show up for other people when it counts. The memoir not only shines a light on the inhumanity and long-lasting trauma of U.S. immigration policy, but also the power of individuals who simply decide to do what is right at any cost.
Rosayra Pablo Cruz is the mother of four children and was a small business owner in Guatemala before coming to the U.S. Currently living in New York, she is co-president of her oldest son’s Parent Teacher Association and is active in her church and community.
Julie Schwietert Collazo, cofounder and director of Immigrant Families Together, is a bilingual (English-Spanish) writer, editor, translator, and a former creative arts therapist. She has written for a number of publications and co-written and edited a book about Pope Francis, which has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She lives in New York City.
The Book of Rosy is a publication by the University of Harper One. Click here to purchase.
Julie Schwietert Collazo, cofounder and director of Immigrant Families Together, is a bilingual (English-Spanish) writer, editor, translator, and a former creative arts therapist. She has written for a number of publications and co-written and edited a book about Pope Francis, which has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She lives in New York City.
The Book of Rosy is a publication by the University of Harper One. Click here to purchase.
Comment Box is loading comments...
|
|
