Up To Date

Personal Stories Reveal Conditions Migrants To America Are Escaping

By Steve Kraske,

Published June 9, 2021 at 5:19 PM CDT

Ways To Subscribe

A woman and two men hanging onto the ladder at the front of a freight train grain car — Central American migrants face a difficult journey northward to the border of the United States.

Author Malcolm Garcia's latest collection of essays offers understanding of why so many are making the perilous trip to the U.S. southern border.

Vice President Kamala Harris was in Guatemala with a blunt-force message for would-be migrants to the United States: “Do not come.” The vice president's message is unlikely to stem the tide of immigrants. Garcia sheds light on why with stories about the horrors of day-to-day life for some people living in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.

J. Malcolm Garcia, journalist, author of "A Different Kind of War: Uneasy Encounters in Mexico and Central America"

Tags

Up To Date Malcolm Garcia Mexico Central America immigration Books Podcast

Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

See stories by Steve Kraske

Zach Wilson

As Up To Date’s senior producer, I construct daily conversations that give our listeners context to the issues of our time. I strive to provide a platform that holds those in power accountable, while also spotlighting the voices of Kansas City’s creatives and visionaries that may otherwise go unheard. Email me at zach@kcur.org.

See stories by Zach Wilson

Chris Young

Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.

See stories by Chris Young