The case study
In a way, this book is about more than its subject. That is to say, the subject of the book is only one specific attempt to cross the US-Mexican border by a group of desperate immigrants, and in many cases, their deaths. However, the story is really treated by Urrea as a case study, as if the various parts of this specific story have broader implications. By treating the specifics of this case, a more detailed analysis is made of the immigration crisis. Urrea suggests that perhaps they are actually refugees.
The Cercas Family
The criminal enterprise known as "The Cercas Family" is symbolic in an important way. Their involvement in this case study proves that for some people in Mexico, the law is bound to be broken in one way or another. It is illegal to immigrate into the United States without due process, so the Cercas Family is a living symbol of the problem on the border; sometimes the issues in Mexico become so intense and dangerous that people must leave by any means necessary. The Family profits by hiring coyotes, much like an agency.
The cartel
The gang underworld of Mexico will probably be regarded as a major aspect of Mexican history in the fullness of time. The cartels are symbolic manifestations of corruption and instability in the Mexican government. Because many people have fully developed opinions about illegal immigration, Urrea takes time to re-explain the ways that the cartels actually shape life in Mexico. The details are quite gruesome. Sometimes, just to terrorize a town into submission, the cartels will randomly execute members of the town and mutilate their bodies. The cartels are the final stage of criminal enterprise, because they are even powerful enough to sway the Mexican government. There is a question about who is really in charge.
The treacherous walk
Nothing is more symbolic about this case study than the treacherous walk through the Arizonian desert. Because it is so dangerous, even Border Patrol has a hard time monitoring it. Much of the desert is extremely inhospitable, and often the temperature will swing wildly in a single day, so that during the day, the men are sweating and suffering the sun, and by night, they are freezing and suffering hypothermia. The desert trek leaves many of the men dead and others severely injured.
The value of human life
Ultimately, there is a question about the value of the lives of those who died. Some people have the opinion, "Good riddance," because they do not like Mexican immigrants who come across the border illegally, but Urrea explains how hateful and closed-minded that is. The opportunity to empathize is on full display. One might remember that famous poem, "Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." In this case, the opportunity of empathy is to mourn the loss of human life. That mourning process has an important role to play in the discussion of illegal immigration from Mexico. Obviously, the risk of death shows that perhaps the conservative narratives about immigration in America are inhospitable and wrong.
