After the last border : two families and the story of refuge in America / Jessica Goudeau.

Goudeau, Jessica, author.

362.839812 Goudeau

[New York] : Viking, [2020]

xii, 348 pages : genealogical table ; 24 cm

"The story of two refugee families and their hope and resilience as they fight to survive and belong in America The welcoming and acceptance of immigrants and refugees has been central to America's identity for centuries--yet America has periodically turned its back at the times of greatest humanitarian need. After the Last Border is an intimate look at the lives of two women as they struggle for the twenty-first century American dream, having won the "golden ticket" to settle as refugees in Austin, Texas. Mu Naw, a Christian from Myanmar struggling to put down roots with her family, was accepted after decades in a refugee camp at a time when America was at its most open to displaced families; and Hasna, a Muslim from Syria, agrees to relocate as a last resort for the safety of her family--only to be cruelly separated from her children by a sudden ban on refugees from Muslim countries. Writer and activist Jessica Goudeau tracks the human impacts of America's ever-shifting refugee policy as both women narrowly escape from their home countries and begin the arduous but lifesaving process of resettling in Austin, Texas--a city that would show them the best and worst of what America has to offer. After the Last Border situates a dramatic, character-driven story within a larger history--the evolution of modern refugee resettlement in the United States, beginning with World War II and ending with current closed-door policies--revealing not just how America's changing attitudes toward refugees has influenced policies and laws, but also the profound effect on human lives"-- Provided by publisher.

Women immigrants -- Texas -- Austin -- History.

Emigration and immigration -- Government policy -- History.

Immigrant families -- Texas -- Austin -- History.

American Dream.

Emigration and immigration -- Government policy -- United States -- History.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 333-334) and index.

Prologue : Mu Naw (Myanmar/Thailand border, 1989) -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, April 2007) -- US refugee resettlement, 1945-1951) -- Hasna (Daraa, Syria, March 2011) -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, April 2007) -- Hasna (Darra, Syria, March 2011) -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, April 2007) -- Hasna (Darra, Syria, March 2011) -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, May-August 2007) -- Hasna (Darra, Syria, March 2011) -- US refugee resettlement, 1880-1945 -- Hasna (Daraa, Syria, March-April 2011) -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, September 2007) -- Hasna (Daraa, Syria/Ramtha, Jordan, April-July 2011) -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, October 2007-April 2008) -- Hasna (Ramtha, Jordan, December 2012-February 2013) -- US refugee resettlement, 1950-1963 -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, April 2008-March 2009) -- Hasna (Ramtha and Irbed, Jordan, February-December 2013) -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, October 2011) -- Hasna (Irbed, Jordan, December 2013-July 2016) -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, Agust 2014, January 2015) -- US refugee resettlement, 1980-2006 -- Hasna (Austin, Texas, USA, July 2016) -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, May 2015) -- US refugee resettlement, 2008-2015 -- Hasna (Austin, Texas, USA, October-November 2016) -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, March 2016) -- US refugee resettlement, 2015-2018 -- Hasna (Austin, Texas, USA, January-July 2017) -- Mu Naw (Austin, Texas, USA, Janurary 2016) -- Afterword.

9780525559139

* 9780525559146