The individuals interviewed for this book are all in the United States illegally, but each has a unique story to relate: a young woman who, with her husband and four children, came here illegally from Mexico, and was trying to make a better life for her children; a young man living a hard and bleak life as a day laborer, a life that is not what he envisioned when he came to America, but one he claims is better than life in Mexico; and two refugees from El Salvador whose story includes the deaths of two sons at the hands of government forces in their homeland. The book suggests that politicians and decision makers should be aware of stories like these because only by getting past stereotypes and into individuals' concerns can they understand and think more critically about society's problems. The book contains a list of organizations to contact for more information about illegal immigrants in America. Bibliography, index