[applause] . >> that's all we have time for today. thank you for supporting the book festival. thank you. [applause] [inaudible conversations]

. >> book tv coverage at the texas book festival continues. [inaudible conversations] hello[i everybody. how is everybody doing? thanks for coming out. a beautiful day outside. thanks for coming out and being with us today. i am so thrilled to be here with these amazing ladies.

with civic engagement organizationje so to take a break to be here with you all with that i would love to give a very brief introduction to these wonderful authors. we'll talk about their books and i have some questions i'm dying to ask but also with the last ten or 15 minutes let's start by introducing the author like us in the founder a community-based organization

and since 2010 the founder andon president of the new american leaders project. to grow up in belize and now lives in new york city let's give her a round of applause. [applause] and the next we have the author how group of young immigrants help to change what it means to be american. and was a staff writer for more than a decade. i hear she got a lot of the stories andat ideas. reporting from cuba and central america as in the guardian and central --dash los angeles times and "miami herald".

a 2013 foundation journalism fellowshiplo and currently resides in washington d.c.. with that we also a round of applause. [applause] so with that i was let you guys talk about your books to share the ideas of where they came from and any insights you can share that we can find anywhere else. >> this reminds me of being in miami. but really that is where this book started. november 2009 i was stuck in the office for the holiday season and i got this press release of a group of young

people walking from miami to washington d.c. it sounds crazy but i decided to go with averill holding a meeting in little haiti and to check it out. i heard these people talking feeling like they had grown up in this country and now they were adults that they were literally turned into ghosts and erased fromm their community and one of my main characters made the determination of bravado and swagger for vulnerability i capturededad them walking. they didn't even have coats they had to stop to buy shoes. it was spur of the moment but they come up to washington when it was a national story.

by the end of 2010 and they got the first vote on the dream act in the senate and the house because it was proposed more than a decade before it fell five votes short but then two years later with the obama administration to provide some temporary protections to continue to live and not turn into a ghost. so this is something. and i wanted to document it and because to see young people try to get involved in the politicalca system and changing hour cultural and civic and political dialogue.

here we are. >> we don't give enough credit to the dreamers talking about young people not getting engaged or voting but sometimes they don't have the ability to vote but to make a huge difference for all young people and immigrants across the country. . >> you have an equally inspiring book that power building from a different angle? . >> thank you for being here and choosing this i am happy to be here and i'm envious of the fact jones is speaking in another tent. thank you for choosing me. since i was ten years old i first started the organization

that i now run and thehe short version is to recruit first and second generation americans to run for political office. in the eight years i became more and more aware of these amazing stories of immigrants involved in their communities and deciding to run forfo office. i wrote the book for two reasons. because theirir stories are so inspiring. and often we hear they take something away from our countryat or make an economic contribution but talks about how they are inspiring new voters or on behalf of immigrant communities. the format which highlights problem of our democracy came together after in2016 election.

i started to feel that people were connecting all problems in the democracy to donald trump and it was clear to me that the problems in oures system existed long before him and will continue. so ask about a couple of insights. one of the most striking things once i started to work is to understand how outdated hour legislative system is from modern americana. founding fathers created a system where it made sense in texas for a bunch of legislatorss to meet every 18 months to make decisions about the country. that is a formula that doesn't work. you want your legislators to be available throughout the year fighting for you throughout the year but if we create a system where they come together every 18

months, first of all, who are those types of people to do that that can take six months out of their job every 18 months and live off of that salary? and what decisions are made by those people? the whole role not just with campaigns but who gets to run and govern in what kind of policy is made is striking. also the more personal insight is how emotionally isolating it is. we think they have so much power but to make those comments the only person of their background in their family that was involved and

incredibly lonely experience. >> especially with representation. >> butse to the constituents and not have those same conversations. some more around the political climate immigration is a dirtyty word part of the foundation with immigrants as a backbone has been politicized and the refugee caravan asylum-seekers

right up through the midterm elections.do so what narrative do you find to bring our country together? and what we are founded on as a positive thing not necessarily negative. >> one of the reasons i wanted to write to this book with these immigrants that were leaders and they also solve these books on policy but also alcreating the false narratives about these perfect individuals so the kids in the

book those that got into harvard. real people i can identify with one of the reasons i wanted to do that when we think about this issue we think of these political leaders but when they were done with the march to washington and all along they had gotten support from church groups and as they are in virginia they come to the church where the lite is told i want you to hold hands or

have any affection with your boyfriend because it's upsetting to people in the church and you will alienate our supporters. when they were coming out is undocumented then to be told to go back into the closet for theld bigger cause it felt really destructive so they and then the younge woman whose family is about to bes deported she stands up and asks the church community to support her and he makes this calculation if i speak out i alienate all these people who want to help her life is in my

hands or i can be true to myself and my partner right here. he gets up there and doesn't up and tells another story and then his boyfriend says you betrayed me so that tells you the story of so many things that are happening as young people try to engage civic lay but also make m chang. >> i think there is no question we are in a difficult time relating to civil rights.

when i thought about the title of the book but doesn't mention immigrants even though every story is about someone who identifies closely with the experience for those that are third and fourth generation. and then to connect to everyone they each tells something that is very specific and individual but allows all of us to be everyday americans. and the work we are doing the political leadership is not representing every dayay americans to be male or female

maybe they don't see themselves't reflected on a daily basis so that is a common narrative except for the types of people who are similar to our founding fathers and then the other piece is commitment to democracy i say they are the most optimistic americans you can find they are willing to put themselves on the front line to fight for what we believee in.

this is a narrative to demonstrate those characteristics for people who are resilient and accountable and on behalf of their communities to build the characteristics that we want in our leader. if we canan unify around those problems we can create a more positive narrative. those that are formally undocumented from the last big immigration reform 1984 his

family said they were going to california toyl go to disneyland that he was tied to his family there in like a story only in america he went on to run for office and 2016 was outspent exponentially they spent over $1 million to defeat them because of their corporate interest to preserve pro- disney councilmembers. that is quintessential to only what could happen in americana. another woman in the book formally undocumented but then after she was elected she got her citizenship and this was

the bill signed by ronald reagan she thought the republican party took care of her in americana. it was years before anti- immigrant policy she decided to become a democrat and now is in the state legislature in arizona. one of the things she talked about to have them be part of the life. so these are things that could happen here. that is the narrative we don't want to lose track of the days significant immigration reform bill signed by a republican president changing lies for millions of americans.

some people ask about the midterm elections and i say whatever happened we don't change the system by this one election but those individuals they represent the possibility of america when i see those in congress from michigan and minnesota they already won their primaries young women can see them in office and feel there is a possibility. you cannot discount because it's the possibility of america p. >> that is a great point to tie this to the future and in

fact, you mention the first muslim representatives but in texas we have never had a latina congresswoman there are two running for office going from the history of texas and now go and have two. . . . .

tired of every time she and her friends would say why don't you take this internship for this job she would say i don't want to do anything i just want to be a wake uawake it was because sht have papers and she was floored by the response. suddenly she had this group and there were these sprinkles happening in california all around and that changed but for me what was interesting as awe journalist or cultural conversation has shifted into uc depictions of immigrants more infoof 360-degree and seems on

gray's anatomy about undocumented immigrant.'s when the case in texas when they were trying to overturn it even further to protect certain individuals when they finally argue that the supreme court it was a case brought by texas he was actually invited as an undocumented immigrant to sit down and hear the arguments which is a huge deal because they didn't allow them to. they didn't get the dream act. that's over.

interestingly how can you argue with someone saying i can't vote use your constitutional right to exercise it. i do see it evolving and the other thing that is interesting is they would be turned back in i don't see them going quite that way back into the shadows and many of their siblings and their parents were energized and

empowered by seeing their involvement in the system and efforts to contribute and not by the vote was jus votes of just t what's legal in terms of knocking on doors asking people if they are registered and all these things anyone can do. i see all those changes so i continue to see the movement evolution in and i look forward to seeing where it goes next. >> one thing i want to say is whatever happens in terms of major historical wins is largely going to be driven by grassroots activities. it's really when you look at

florida or georgia come ashore at the democratic party of those states is somewhat involved but there is an incredible movement by theas organization to change that equation by bringing voters to the table and that includes people who are family members of these folks and the majority of the organizers are people who are immigrants and people of color and that investment is coming through a grassroots organization rather than the party structures. >> 2014 was the lowest trace of participation and so how can we not want our young people to be showing up and voting and engaged. when i see a young group influencing without it's interesting and it is encouraging to see. >> so many grassroots

organizations. as somebody that does digital organizing i don't think i've ever seen this much excitement in my decade of doing this work as we are seeing now. the turnout in texas and other places that are battleground states right now is above what the turnout was so the fact that young people organizing and all these folks going to talk to their neighbors and folks to get out the vote is creating that investment where people have not created that investment before because they think very falsely so that these groups are not going to turn out. it's that our traditional system of politics don't talk to these groups. they recently put out a poll that said over 60% of latinos haven't been touched or reached

out to buy any campaignuc politician party so i think that is a great point about this infrastructure being built by groups organizing on the ground who are doing it out of necessity. i will kick off with the last question and hand it off to the audience. what role do you think since we are talking about immigration as one of the key windows of the conversation what role do you think that will play in the midterm coming up in ten days? >> it's on the news all the time. it's an emotional issue for people on many sides and it gets played out in a way that please him tpleasedhim to fear but i hf you think the system is broke and you will want to understand how and why.

ina see that in the narratives n my book but i also think that reere are two issues in some ways there's the issue of what happens when people get to the borders and there's a lot to be saiden on that but there is also those that are in the country for 20 years have grown up here and speak the language and say the every day in our schools and have worked here. they are l living and working without any legal protection and it's not good for the country when you have people living on the shadows in so s many layerso having the country try to get some kind of immigration reform that gives people on both sides of the iom congress is a huge part of that, but the issue of those who are here and who are already part of the fabric to make that official is is in some

ways different than howw we mah further. people come no matter what and as we can see right now regardless of the crackdown. >> i feel the way that xenophobia is being used as a dog whistle is obviously responding to a certain segment of american voters but including people who not felt like they had a reason to vote or were not motivated to vote are going to come out in response to the climate that we see in the country and i also think that immigrants who are running for office and turning out immigrant voters and new and low efficacy voters are going to play a big role and already have. you talk about the voter

participation rate in texas and florida and how it is happening because of the demographics of those days and whose motivating those people to run so i think that's not going to change the policy environment fundamental fundamentally. we need to be supportive of the people to give them the time it is to turn things around, but the main effect it will have is who gets elected. please give them a round of applause. [applause] i would love to open up to audience questions if anybody would like to step up to the microphone in the middle of the isle of anybody has anything they would like to ask about. don't be shy.

if you don't mind saying your name and where are from. >> i came in after you all started but just hearing the topic made me think of an interview i heard on public radio within the last week about research factors influencing elections in this country. for the citizens who are here and for immigrant their conclusion was in the future latin american immigrants are

going to vote being influenced by their experiences. i am a little skeptical because the ruling party might find different angles 20 years from now. as far as future elections i think you've raised the important point latino immigrants will vote democratic

this many reasons why people vote their interest so the notion that you legalize the group had both monolithic from cuba and to the dominican to mexicans is very simplistic and doesn't hold up he went to harvard and people think someone could just hire him and adjust the status and that would be fine. he's not in the same boat as people who are here and can't do to college. my guess is he'll en he will enp voting like many other people and there's just an incredible diversity of people here and we shouldn't lose sight of that. >> i mentioned one of the people i wrote about and there is a

person and the buck who is a representative in georgia who also because he grew up in the south and his family vote republican, he voted republican just like latino and asian and other people of color vote on their social and economic interests to the extent first f all we see immigration and that means so many different things. it means that immigrant experience and policy. there are many people who like i said became legalized in 1984 under president ronald reagan's bill and so therefore they feel allied with the republican party and so i would echo that it is a fairly complex issue and one of the reasons when i started the organization ire wanted it to be stnpartisan as i don't think he

can take the party affiliation for granted especially for newcomers. i heard someone say we don't necessarily know the difference between elephants and donkeys. i was appointed by a republican mayor as the commissioner of immigrant affairs although i was a registered democrat so what does that mean i wanted to work on behalf of immigrant issues so there was more complexity and nuance once it stops becoming the one thing that is so prominently dividing the republican and democratic party. >> when i think about the last 60 years of civil rights movement and others in the disenfranchised populations, there's been a couple of different venues, strategies and

opportunities. there's been universities and university students, churches, nonprofits, and then there's been organizations around the schools and environments but there's been a lot of different vehicles and topics. when you think about this generation coming upis now, do u see any particular type of way they are organizing themselves in any topic impacting their lives that you would project the or two?ade >> if you're talking about venues i would say social media is where so much happens. and in fact the other day when there was a kavanagh hearing, that tactic reminded me of some of the earlier tactics used to call attention when they

couldn't get mainstream media and they stopped a lawmaker in film. if you are talking about issues again there are certain issues that are going to be common because the age but i think it is diverse and the one thing that is changing is this generation is in some ways more segregated but in some ways the way the country is, there is people more used to those who look slightly different from those who came from somewhere else that isn't the same place they are from and so i do think over all some of this is generational and it doesn't mean they are going to completely change their policies but theire perspective is changed. >> i would add to that it is the

most diverse especially born after 2000 that will be voting for the first timein this year they are the most diverse and on track to be bigger than the baby boomers, so the fact that they are growing in this politicized environment yes a diverse range of issues but i think you can kind of take the parkland kids that are a great example taking from an issue that directly affects them and becoming leaders in this space but i think the point we were talking about earlier in the grass roots organization and infrastructure are leading the way for the movement i think parkland is also an example of a well resourced schools that have an incredibly powerful or successful d-day to program a where they talked about gun control recently in their class and that had been a topic of conversation.

so when the moment came for them lyto unfortunately need to becoe leaders in the space, they were prepared and had the talkingem points and strongly had their personal narrative which i think is a big point in a lo one of te books is humanizing and introducing you to the people behind these issues. but i can safely agree these are a range of -ish news people are stepping up account not just immigration but gun control, the environment, reproductive rights. >> it's interesting that they use their voice to go to areas in chicagouc where people have been talking about gun violence in the schools for years and no one was paying attention because it wasn't i wasn't a well resoud community etc.. so there's a little more of it.ss but you do see this in a generation.

>> thank you for your question. anyone else. >> i have one more question i want to ask the authors. this is going to have this hugee effect into officefe to determie this year held a congressional lines are read from after the gr20s in this on the immigration status proposed on the census what kind of effect do you think that will have on people's participation in the census as another form of being physicallyip engaged?hi

how do you think that might affect the turnout and do you think that will matter or the important? i don't remember about foundation having these conversations two or three years before the so i think we are all preparing the grounds for the organization funding that we are going to see an undercount and it is not intentional if we are going to draw on districts who are scared to be counted it is going to have an effect so what

it calls on all of us to do is to be good neighbors and supportive and vigilant about what is happening because it will take everybody paying attention we all have to be super vigilant in order for people to feel supportive and get counted. in the coming years tha it is we the decisions come out. [applause]