Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here audiobook cover - The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here

The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis

Jonathan Blitzer

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Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here
Root Causes of Migration+
1980s Sanctuary Movement+
Legal Battles & Policy Shifts+
The 21st Century Crackdown+
Resilience & The Endless Cycle+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
How did the US government under the Reagan administration primarily classify Central Americans fleeing violence in the 1980s?
  • A. As political refugees entitled to immediate asylum
  • B. As economic migrants seeking jobs
  • C. As national security threats
  • D. As temporary agricultural workers
Question 2 of 7
What act of civil disobedience did John Fife and his congregation take in 1982 that sparked a national movement?
  • A. They organized a massive protest march to Washington, D.C.
  • B. They filed a class-action lawsuit against the US Border Patrol.
  • C. They declared their church a sanctuary for Central American refugees.
  • D. They established an underground network to smuggle weapons to El Salvador.
Question 3 of 7
According to the text, what US action in the 1990s contributed to sparking new waves of violence in El Salvador?
  • A. The deportation of gang members from the US back to El Salvador
  • B. The withdrawal of US economic aid to Central American governments
  • C. The implementation of neoliberal economic policies by the US Congress
  • D. The covert funding of paramilitary groups by US intelligence agencies
Question 4 of 7
How did Juan Romagoza and other torture survivors seek justice in 2000 against two former Salvadoran generals living in Florida?
  • A. They petitioned the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants.
  • B. They filed a civil lawsuit using the Alien Tort Claims Act.
  • C. They lobbied Congress to deport the generals back to El Salvador.
  • D. They organized an international boycott to pressure the US government.
Question 5 of 7
How did US immigration policy fundamentally shift following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001?
  • A. It became heavily intertwined with national security and border militarization.
  • B. It prioritized family reunification over employment-based visas.
  • C. It shifted the jurisdiction of immigration courts to international bodies.
  • D. It focused primarily on economic migration and labor shortages.
Question 6 of 7
Why did Juan Romagoza find that El Salvador still felt unstable upon his return in recent years?
  • A. The country had collapsed into complete anarchy without a central leader.
  • B. Massive climate change disasters had destroyed the country's infrastructure.
  • C. The government under President Bukele had declared a state of emergency to combat gang violence.
  • D. A new civil war had officially broken out between the military and guerrilla forces.
Question 7 of 7
What does the text suggest is a major, recurring flaw in the US response to the Central American migration crisis?
  • A. It relies too heavily on international organizations to process asylum claims.
  • B. It focuses primarily on border security rather than addressing the root causes pushing people to flee.
  • C. It grants amnesty too quickly without performing proper background checks.
  • D. It places too much emphasis on integrating refugees into local communities.

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here — Full Chapter Overview

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here Summary & Overview

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here (2024) brings you face-to-face with the forces behind the Central American migration crisis. It showcases stories of people risking everything to reach the US, revealing how decades of political choices and corruption shaped this humanitarian disaster. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of the crisis and its lasting impact on both Central America and the United States.

Who Should Listen to Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here?

  • Politics buffs interested in the roots of Central America’s migration crisis
  • Policy experts looking for an insightful analysis of immigration challenges
  • Anyone who enjoys real-world stories with political and human stakes

About the Author: Jonathan Blitzer

Jonathan Blitzer is a journalist and staff writer at the New Yorker, where he covers immigration and foreign policy. His work has earned him several awards, including the Edward R. Murrow Award and the Immigration Journalism Prize from the French-American Foundation. Blitzer’s reporting has also appeared in the New York Times, the Atlantic, and the Nation.

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