Luis Gutiérrez

The cover of this book, My Journey from the Barrio to Capitol Hill by Luis Gutierrez made me want to read this book. Congressman Luis Gutierrez has such an open and beckoning smile His book tells of his journey as Puerto American in Lincoln Park, Chicago to Puerto Rico and back. He is now in his eleventh term.

The book opens with a consequence of going against the political machine. His house was firebombed. His whole family could have been killed. After this dramatic opening, he swings back to when he was growing up in Lincoln Park. The neighborhood was very poor and there were gangs and drugs. When he was growing up, he did not know how to speak Spanish. He could understand what his parents said but could not use the language. Then his parents started buying up expensive things like a new couch and a new stereo. His father who was a cab driver at the time had decided it was time to return his family to Puerto Rico. His father’s dream was to have a family restaurant. He was concerned that Luis would join the gangs and never learn about his Puerto Rico Heritage.

Luis discovered that Puerto Rico was very different than Lincoln Park. He struggled at first to speak Spanish but mastered it completely later. He learned the value and self-respect that comes with hard work and an understanding of the world of the sugar cane workers. He learned to have pride in his heritage and to court a sweetheart.

That is only a glimpse of part of his story. Reading his biography, it is clear why the Comprehensive Immigration Reform is so important to him. He writes of his background and how he came to form his opinions and why he works so passionately to help immigrants.

I highly recommend this book to people who like to read about their representatives and how they came to believe what they do and why they fight for what they do.

I received this book as a win from First Reads but that in no way influenced my review. My thoughts are 100 percent my own.… (altro)