The story began in 1918; when Gustavo Arellano's great-grandfather and grandfather arrived in the United States; only to be met with flying potatoes. They ran; and hid; and then went to work in Orange County's citrus groves; where; eventually; thousands of fellow Mexican villagers joined them. Gustavo was born sixty years later; the son of a tomato canner who dropped out of school in the ninth grade and an illegal immigrant who snuck into this country in the trunk of a Chevy. Meanwhile; Orange County changed radically; from a bucolic paradise of orange groves to the land where good Republicans go to die; American Christianity blossoms; and way too many bad television shows are green-lit. Part personal narrative; part cultural history; Orange County is the outrageous and true story of the man behind the wildly popular and controversial column ¡Ask a Mexican! and the locale that spawned him. It is a tale of growing up in an immigrant enclave in a crime-ridden neighborhood; but also in a promised land; a place that has nourished America's soul and Gustavo's family; both in this country and back in Mexico; for a century. Nationally bestselling author; syndicated columnist; and the spiciest voice of the Mexican-American community; Gustavo Arellano delivers the hilarious and poignant follow-up to ¡Ask a Mexican!; his critically acclaimed debut. Orange County not only weaves Gustavo's family story with the history of Orange County and the modern Mexican-immigrant experience but also offers sharp; caliente insights into a wide range of political; cultural; and social issues.
#6984274 in Books 2010-07-28Original language:English #File Name: 1409413675424 pages
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