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What do you think of the controversy surrounding the novel "American Dirt"?

Asked by Demosthenes (15217points) January 24th, 2020

https://www.npr.org/2020/01/24/798894249/latinx-critics-speak-out-against-american-dirt-jeanine-cummins-responds
“American Dirt” is a recent novel that chronicles the adventure of a Mexican woman and her son as they flee cartel violence in Mexico and come to the United States.

The author is an American of Puerto Rican descent. She has received much criticism for the novel, especially from Latinos and Mexican Americans, who claim that its portrayal of Mexicans is unrealistic and stereotypical and that the book, which is being hailed as ”the migrant novel”, is written in a way that seems to be clueless about real Mexican migrants and their experiences. Critics say the book is only trying to cash in on a hot button topic and isn’t an honest portrayal of the migrant experience.

The book’s controversy exploded when Oprah chose it for her book club.

As someone of Mexican descent (descended from legal immigrants) who has not read the novel, it’s hard for me to judge a book without reading it, but some of the quoted passages from the book do seem a bit cringey.

Is this book just another victim of cancel culture? Will you read the novel? Can non-Mexicans write novels about Mexican migrants?

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