Description
Book SynopsisThrough powerful firsthand accounts,
A Story to Save Your Life offers new insight into the harrowing realities of seeking protection in the United States. Sarah C. Bishop argues that cultural differences in communication shape every stage of the asylum process, playing a major but unexamined role.
Trade ReviewThis brilliant book features the powerful voices of asylum seekers, government officials who have run the deportation machine, and advocates and researchers who make sense of mass migration. Bishop humanizes the lived experiences of those seeking asylum with stunning emotional depth and insight. A must-read for all who care about immigration. -- Elora Mukherjee, director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School
All storytelling is cultural. It’s about time Western gatekeepers understood that. With thought-provoking research and moving stories,
A Story to Save Your Life is a leap toward that vital education. -- Dina Nayeri, author of
The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell YouBishop invites us into the room where asylum decisions are made.
A Story to Save Your Life is a disturbing account of how everyone from asylum seekers to judges tries to communicate across cultural and bureaucratic barriers in a messy process where the consequences of misinterpretation are devastating. -- David Scott FitzGerald, author of
Refuge Beyond Reach: How Rich Democracies Repel Asylum SeekersThis beautifully written book uncovers the problematic ways the legal structures for assessing asylum claims ignore, misinterpret, and otherwise skew the narratives asylum seekers must share to qualify for asylum. Bishop elucidates how the asylum process perpetuates trauma and results in asylum denials of people who should qualify.
A Story to Save Your Life is an essential perspective on this vital topic. -- Beth Caldwell, Southwestern Law School
This book is an essential read to better understand the challenges that asylum applicants encounter when sharing their stories. Bishop provides a clear and in-depth analysis of the relationship between communication and asylum outcomes. * Social Forces *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Note on the Cover Art
1. Halted Expectations
In Their Own Words: Josh Childress, Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent
2. Long Stories Short
In Their Own Words: Alina Das, Immigration Attorney
3. Emotional Labor
In Their Own Words: Ethan Taubes, Asylum Officer Trainer
4. Nonverbal Communication and Credibility
In Their Own Words: Dr. Renée Sicalides, Psychologist
5. Deterring Asylum
In Their Own Words: Jeffery Chase, Former Immigration Judge
6. The Return
In Their Own Words: Rafael, Detained Asylum Seeker
Postscript
Appendix: Methods and Trauma-Informed Research Design
Notes
Bibliography
Index
