Mexifornia: A State of Becoming by Victor Davis Hanson





Originally published in 2007.

Victor Davis Hanson's Mexifornia: A State of Becoming is one of the most thorough discussions about the topic of illegal immigration that I have read. Hanson is sympathetic to the plight of the aliens, is intimately familiar with the economic aspects that draw them to America (he owns a vineyard in the Fresno area) and he is witness to the changes and hidden costs that have come to California.

He discusses the issue from the point of view of the illegal alien, the employers that hire them, the taxpayers that subsidize them, the way we used to bring immigrants into the larger American culture, the way we do it (or don't do it) now. It is not an anti-immigrant rant, despite some of the comments you may read in the reviews.

I found this to be a fascinating read - It is much deeper than Geraldo Rivera's The Great Progression: How Hispanics Will Lead America to a New Era of Prosperity, a book that I've recently read that covers some of the same issues. However, we need more of these types of books that openly discuss the issue - books from all political and cultural perspectives that go beyond the screaming and posturing that cable news shows provide when they discuss the issues.

 I rated this book 5 stars out of a possible 5.

 Reviewed on June 10, 2010.

Note: I find myself continually disappointed that this talented historian has become such a shameless advocate for President Trump and the MAGA movement. He should see Trump for what he is because he has seen charlatans like Trump time after time throughout history, but somehow he does not. I imagine that his concerns about illegal immigration has led him to ignore everything else about the MAGA movement and its paranoia. This book has been updated. I have not read the update.
DWD. January 13, 2025.

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