Briefly speaking: Immigration focus of book project

Why do people risk their life coming to the United States? Are the risks worth the payoff? These questions and many others are addressed by the sixth annual Campus Community Book Project, which focuses on The Devil's Highway: A True Story and the topic of immigration.

Written by award-winning poet, essayist and novelist Luis Alberto Urrea, the book recounts a 2001 border incident in which a group of 26 men attempted to cross the border between Mexico and Arizona through the Sonoran Desert. Only half of them lived to cross to the other side.

Variety of discussions, events

Sponsored by the Office of Campus Community Relations and the Campus Council on Community and Diversity, the book project seeks to strengthen the sense of community among students, staff, faculty and community members by providing a common reading experience and provoking dialogue through numerous events and courses during the year.

With so many faculty members researching and teaching aspects of immigration, the book selection was a perfect choice to use as a bridge for discussion, says Gary Sue Goodman, coordinator of the project.

Although the book focuses on undocumented immigrants from Mexico, it provides a framework for examining immigration as a broader topic. Discussions will explore the history of immigration policies; the causes of legal and illegal immigration; the social, cultural and economic impacts of immigration; the effects of cultural and dietary change on immigrants' health; the technology of border enforcement; the economic significance of immigrant workers in California's agriculture and construction field; and the implications of various immigration reform efforts.

Author relates own experience

Goodman says reaching a consensus on this book was relatively easy because of the topic and how the author uses his own experiences. Urrea spent his childhood pulled between two worlds -- that of his father in Mexico and that of his mother in California.

He will speak twice at the Mondavi Center on Nov. 28: in a panel at 4 p.m. and an author's talk at 8 p.m. Other events include art shows, poetry readings, speakers, film screenings and book discussions. A complete calendar of events --all of them free except for the author's evening talk -- is available online.

The UC Davis Bookstore is offering Devil's Highway at a discounted price of $9.95