Banished Citizens by Marla A. Ramírez

Between 1921 and 1944, roughly one million ethnic Mexicans living in the United States—many U.S. citizens, especially women and children—were forcibly removed to Mexico. Drawing on oral histories and archival research, Marla A. Ramírez traces the effects of these removals across three generations, focusing on women’s efforts to reclaim citizenship, the loss of generational wealth, and long-term legal, social, and economic consequences. The book highlights how policies on both sides of the border enabled the expulsions and how descendants continue to resist and remember this overlooked chapter of U.S. immigration history.

The 13107th greatest book of all time

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Total Points: 6

This book was first published in 2025

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