ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | CROSSING THE LINE

Crossing the Line: Finding America in the Borderlands stands on the strong shoulders of many. You’ve met my story collaborators in the book’s pages. You’ve been introduced to the scholars whose research I’ve leaned on and whose points of view aided my subversive act of seeing. You’ve heard from individuals and families most impacted.

The depths of my gratitude to one and all knows no bounds. I remain in awe of their individual and collective resilience and generosity. But there are many people besides, at the back end of this endeavor, who you haven’t met but without whom I would never have gotten Crossing the Line across the line. I’d like to shout to the rafters my love and appreciation for them here.

First and foremost: Thank you, James and Liliana Hertling, my better two-thirds, for your critical reading skills and keen editorial prowess; your tireless willingness to brainstorm with me and hold my hand through the murkiest, most difficult passages; for keeping me fed and caffeinated; for providing warm arms and a soft landing every time the darkness of the topic threatened to pull me under; and so much more. I would not have made it to the finish line without your emotional and editorial support, your love and belief in me, your shopping expeditions and myriad healthy meals.

Hats off, too, to Bob Marino, copy editor extraordinaire, and to our now-decade-long partnership. I enjoy working with you, mate, and I look forward to our both making peace with the Chicago Manual of Style one day.

Thanks to Anne-Marie Debbané for pointing out where my language failed to be human-centered. Ditto to Lynn Tramonte of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance and Anacaona, LLC, for setting me straight with a dedicated sensitivity read. These were not always easy conversations to have. But I appreciate you sitting in the heat with me and telling me what I needed to hear. Crossing the Line is a better book for it.

To my colleagues at Witness at the Border and the Cameroon Advocacy Network, as well as to the entire Asylum Working Group and to all representatives, past and present, of the Welcome with Dignity campaign: Thank you for folding me into your communities, for trusting me to handle confidential information and conversations, and for introducing me to many of the teachers, mentors, and guides included in this book. I hope you feel I treated their stories with the empathy and care they deserve.

To the ever-expanding community of witnesses, whose paths I crossed at the #EndMPP Vigil, during our pandemic webinars, on the Journey for Justice, at the Workshop for Justice, and on your own home turf. You are too many to name individually. Apologies. But please know that your support of my earliest story drafts, your enthusiastic response to my storytelling and concept, was wind in my sails every step of the way. At times, it was all I needed to keep going.

Special shouts of appreciation go out to Livia Brock and Margaret Seiler, my partners at Witness Radio (soon to be relaunched as From the Borderlands), who supported my foray into audio. Thank you for your belief in and patience with me.

I remain indebted, forever, to all my first readers: not just the one-hundred-plus kindred souls whose names and stories appear herein, the vast majority of whom fact-checked and verified their passages, sections, and chapters. My profound thanks extend, as well, to every person who read part or all of the manuscript, sometimes more than once! And who provided straight-shooting, critical feedback whenever I needed it most: Tom Cartwright, Laura Dzurec (aka, the-lady-on-the-train), Joyce Hamilton, Merry Hancock, Luz Lopez, Brinn MacRae, Fatma Marouf, Susan Morgan, Anne Marie Murphy, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Suzanne Pace, Camilo Perez-Bustillo, Madeleine Sandefur, Michael Seifert, Carey Shea, and of course Susan Law, RIP.

To all my blurbers: OMG! what a boost of confidence you provided me as I entered the final sprint of this marathon. Words cannot express the depths of my gratitude for making me feel seen after so many months spent alone, chipping away at the stone.

Shout-outs of thanks, too, to all the people who put me up (even during the pandemic) and fed me as I crossed lines: Susan Eaddy and David Ribar, Dora Rodriguez, Jack and Elizabeth White, Leslie Mullin and Terry Forman, Anne Reifenberg, Jay and Barbie Alman, Danton Miller and Karen Barcellona, Betty Anderson, Larry Rennick, Susan and Bob Greig, Peter Hamblin and Sandra Damm. Big waves, as well, to Kevin Brown, who connected me with Ken Burns—go Hampshire! To my fellow authors, Candy Gourlay and Patti Horvath, for your ongoing writerly advice. And to everyone who suffered through early readings and still loves me.

Big thanks to the folks who got me out of the house, even when I didn’t want to go, and/or took care of Gryffindog when I needed to stay put and keep the pace: Anne Bagamery, Emma Noble and Luke Bowman, Rachel Skingsley, Nancy Janin, Tony Palazzo and Lonnee Hamilton. To Clare Shine for offering me a place at the Salzburg Global Seminar. And to everyone who kept me singing through it all: Marie-Claude Gervais, Sherman Carroll, Cindy Walters, Ronald Corps, and the entire family at the Highgate Choral Society. Thanks!

As for tending to my physical and mental well-being, all credit goes to Laura Brera, Lizzie Eshref, and Lisa Kaley-Isley, as well as to Gryffindog, who forces me into the park every day so he may attend to his job of chasing birds and hunting squirrels.

To Lily’s friends, my fan club and posse: Thank you for keeping me young even as this topic and this effort aged me, and for making up the bulk of Crossing the Line pre-orders!

To my sisters, Cindi, Kati, and Marion, with whom I shared the crushing loss of both our parents in the years between my starting and finishing Crossing the Line. I cherish the kinship we rekindled in our grief. And to Marion, I send a special, additional shout of thanks for being my stateside offset printer, photocopier, and book fulfillment manager.

To all the Good Samaritans, keeping hope alive for the invisibilized masses trapped south of the line—Pastor Hector Silva, Lourdes “Lulu” Gonzalez, Gladys Cañas Aguilar, Esther Garza, Jeef Nelson, to name but a few—I send kudos of recognition and strength to you. May you find blessings in abundance.

Thanks to all the folks who joined me in researching and exposing ICE’s egregious and illegal use of The WRAP. In addition to those who already loom large in the book, hat tip to journalists Nadja Drost, McKenzie Funk, and Sam Biddle, as well as Dov Baum of the American Friends Service Committee for holding the torch with me. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to Pat Leach and Vicki Rosenthal, who provided the initial contacts I needed to get the boulder rolling uphill. And to Ruha Temlock for standing alongside me and aiding my research as a trustworthy translator.

Respect to Asong Divine for connecting me with Anye Alfred and Asongenyi Venart, all Cameroonians in exile, who helped me and Godswill set up the Ghana Sanctuary. More special thanks to Madeleine for joining me in the sanctuary endeavor. To all the friends and family who donated to our collective cause. And to Florence Selman for taking over funding the project when Madeleine and my money ran out.

Great wells of gratitude also flow to Anat Shenker-Osorio, communications guru, whose gift for formulating Values-Villains-Vision narratives changed my messaging strategy and talking points, forever—and for the better. And to Kimberly Glyder for the amazing cover art, Tabitha Lahr for the incredible interior design, and Madison Stevens for becoming my personal branding consultant.

Finally, my deepest gratitude to Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press, for taking a chance on me and for seeing the potential in this book; to my perpetually gentle, yet always firm, production manager, Lauren Wise, who has been the perfect shepherd; and to Marissa DeCuir and Angelle Barbazon of Books Forward—thank you for believing and for always being there!

With so many people involved in a project of such magnitude, I have no doubt missed a name or two. Apologies in advance to anyone I’ve neglected to acknowledge here. Please reach out so that I may thank you directly.

In solidarity and justice,

Sarah