Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Up close and personal, "Once I Was You" is an unflinching look into award winning first generation Mexican American journalist Maria Hinojosa's journey in the United States. Starting with being screened out for potential measles and being heroically protected by her mother, Hinojosa has had to navigate notions of white American supremacy in the classroom, relationships and in the newsroom. As she grows up, Hinojosa becomes more and more aware of the structural inequities that drive immigration policy in the United States. Unflinchingly brave, she presents a case that highlights one of the chief contradictions of the Democratic party - that however progressive it may seem at the moment, Clinton and Obama have led some of the most regressive national crime policies that criminalized undocumented immigrants. Such policies laid the foundation for the current state of ICE today.

Yet for all its political analysis, this is a memoir at heart and the best moments come when we see Hinojosa grappling by herself to come to an understanding of what it means to be a Latinx woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother in the United States today. These are the moments where we see her vulnerability and humanity at its best and these are the moments where we feel most connected and most emotional. A well balanced, informative and poignant read!

I saw a lot of myself in Hinojosa because living in the United States as a Mexican is a complex situation, even when you’re documented.

She also took us through the grind of wanting to be a successful woman and having a family. People of all races and ethnicities can relate to Hinojosa.

This book reminded me a lot of Dear America, Notes of an Undocumented Citizen. Both Maria and Jose navigated the world of journalism as minorities.

This book brought out a ton of different feelings. I was mostly I sad and frustrated because this story shows us that things haven’t changed in the United States. Hinojosa chronicles a lot of history on immigration and the treatment of immigrants.

“The lesson here was that the most powerless people can sometimes be the ones who first motivate everyone else to join together for cause. They start by believing in the power of their own voices.”

There are so many things I want to talk about but I honestly have not found all of the words to express how much I enjoyed reading her memoir.

One of the most impactful aspects of her story that I found is how Maria Hinojosa did not shy away from expressing her insecurities and sharing when she experienced imposter syndrome. I can’t tell how many times I have experienced imposter syndrome, especially when related to school. I was applying to grad school in 2018 and I doubted even submitting the applications because I did not think I would get accepted.

I eventually did decide to apply and I am scheduled to finish this December. But navigating academia, especially in a predominantly White program, let me tell you, IT'S HARD. In the beginning, I felt nervous about rocking the boat and making statements that could be considered divisive. I also felt that what I wanted to say may not be important and I would just be wasting class time.

However, after an incident with a racist professor, I finally spoke up. At first I felt a little uneasy speaking out but racist comment after racist comment, I had enough. I spoke out and it felt good. A week later, several classmates, who were also POC, thanked me for speaking out.

Sometimes we may think that our voices and what we have to say may not matter. But our voices do matter! We need to speak out because people are not going to do it for us. I also think we need to start speaking up because something may not be affecting us directly but it can make a difference in someone else’s life.

Once I Was You is Maria Hinojosa’s memoir, how she crawled her way to becoming an award winning journalist that brings humanity to her reporting. This book will give you a glimpse of the history of Mexican immigrants in the US, the atrocities committed to them just because they were not born in the US, the way they were used, abused, threatened, broken down and how until today nothing ever really changes. But what surprised me while reading this book was that even if you have your green cards and US passports, they can still take it away from you just because you don’t look like American and you are not born in the US.

Being a woman, more so a Latina, in an industry predominant run by men and white people, Maria gave us a glimpse of the industry she lives and breathes, sacrificing her personal life, mental health and the struggles she experienced just to find the truth and give voice to those who doesn’t have one. Despite the name she carved for herself and her status, she still feels small, insecure, always doubting and never believing in herself.

Some people might ask why I am reading this and what is to me that these things were happening when I am far away cocooned and sheltered in my own little world and that these things doesn’t really concern me. Yes but as a human being, we learn, we emphatize, we listen, we understand their plight and if we give an ounce of respect to every human being we meet who has a different color than us, then we do our share in making this a better world, if not for us then for our children and the generation to come.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-copy.

An incredible story of immigration and out just in time for LatinX month. Everyone should get there hands on a copy of this important book so that they can better understand the experience of immigration that so many LatinX people have.

The author's 'personal experience as a Mexican American growing up in south side Chicago. She details how our opinions of immigration have formed Americans' attitudes towards those viewed as "outsiders". As a respected journalist, the author has seen this firsthand. The author's personal experiences are honestly laid out in this book and detail how much we need things to change.

Once I Was You is the memoir that we all need right now. Maria Hinojosoa is a gifted storyteller and reporter, who always centers the human in any story. This is exactly what she does in this book. She humanizes herself by sharing her struggles with imposter syndrome, the at-times unease in her marriage, the PTSD she’s suffered from her reporting, and her experience as a survivor of sexual assault. In addition to providing readers with a front row seat into her life, she also brings the facts about our nation’s history of immigration. Maria reminds us that, “Anti-immigrant feeling was and has been a naturally occurring, cyclical phenomenon in this country. It’s not a Republican or Democrat thing; it’s an American thing (until we decide it’s not).” She also makes it clear that language matters -- illegal is not a noun and no human being can be illegal. << In case you needed reminding.

I truly cherished this read. I first discovered Maria Hinojosa on Latino USA, which is one of my favorite shows because it provides a platform to elevate our Latinx community, our lived experiences, and our stories. I’ll admit that prior to this book, I knew little about Maria’s career path, but it was inspiring to read about her hustle to carve a space of her own and her relentless commitment to amplifying the voices that often go ignored by mainstream media.

Overall, this was a great book and I highly recommend giving it a read. It’s also timely with the recent reports of inhumane treatment happening at the detention camps along our US-Mexico border, which Maria has been reporting on for over a decade.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an e-ARC of this book.

How timely it was to read this as its Latinx Heritage Month.
First many thanks to Atria book and the author for the opportunity to read the Advance Reader copy

Emmy Award–winning journalist and anchor of NPR’s Latino USA, Maria Hinojosa, tells the story of immigration in America through her family’s experiences, what it means to be a survivor, a feminist, a citizen, and a journalist who owns her voice while striving for the truth. Maria shares her intimate experience growing up Mexican American on the south side of Chicago and documenting the existential wasteland of immigration detention camps for news outlets that often challenged her work.⁣
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While there are trigger warnings of rape, assaults, immigration and Deportation
This is a book that every one should read.

A highly compelling memoir. Maria Hinojosa tells her story with verve, humor and a strong sense of purpose. She effectively intertwines her own tale of growing up bi-cultural (Mexican and American) with a sharp interpretation of America’s schizoid attitude toward immigration. Her frank and confiding manner, detailing her excitement and insecurities as she advances in journalism are very appealing and winningly humane. We cheer her on, and laugh with her along the way. A great pleasure to read.

This is a book that every one should read. Really. Part memoir, part hard hitting journalism, Maria Hinojosa combines her personal story of immigration as child and her career in journalism with both the hard facts and personal stories of immigration in America today. She does not shy away from pointing out the huge problems found in immigration in US and how this makes the US seem very two-faced. I found this captivating read that really challenged my own thinking on immigration. Knowing the facts and the stories Hinojosa shares makes my heart hurt for immigrants and the US as a whole. If you care at all about immigration, no matter which side you fall on, you should read this book.

Once I Was You is a must read memoir. I grew up listening to Maria Hinojosa on the radio, and most recently she has been one of my main sources for political and social updates via Latino USA and In the Thick. In truth, for a long time, it was rare to see a strong, intelligent, and fearless Latina on the news, and Maria is that rare gem.

Unsurprisingly, her memoir is just as special. It seamlessly weaves her personal journey as an immigrant with the history of US immigration policy and social movements. And, let's be honest, any Latinx identifying individual or immigrant will likely tell you, you can't really separate a personal journey from politics. Policies and movements directly and indirectly impact our daily experiences and Maria captures that brilliantly.

I also appreciated her vulnerability. On the outside, I would never have guessed Maria was also struggling with self acceptance and power dynamics within her career. Yet, she too faced with many of the same emotions and obstacles women must overcome as they rise in their careers. It made me think about why some of the most influencial women can sometimes doubt themselves while in the midst of success. What part of human nature encourages this type of thinking?

There are so many topics to discuss within this book and I could likely go on for a bit. So I'll leave you with this: If want to learn more about a fearless female leader, if you want to be inspired, or if you want to read something that may be out of your comfort zone I highly recommend this memoir. You will not be disappointed. (TW: sexual assault, rape, politics).

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this memoir in exchange for my honest review.

I am currently reading and absolutely enjoying this very timely memoir. How Maria is able to tell her story and seamlessly tell us about the history that Mexican before and after her faced, it is done beautifully. I am really enjoying it!

In this memoir, Hinojosa breaks down her journey to becoming an award winning journalist; her initial struggle with her identity as a Mexican American; and the heartbreaking realities of the U.S immigration crisis.

I LOVED the first half of this book - I was completely hooked by Hinojosa’s story, her writing and the structure of storytelling were just so captivating to me. I also really appreciated her unbiased approach to many of the issues discussed. The immigration crisis covered in this book spans many past U.S governments and presidents and her demand for accountability and justice is the same throughout.

In the last 100 pages or so of this book, it felt like the structure of the writing changed. The content was still very informative but the stories and people were not connecting in the same way as previous parts of the book which kind of threw me off a little.

Overall though, this is a very enlightening and inspiring memoir. Definitely recommend this one if you’re interested in journalism, politics or U.S immigration studies.

Once I Was You is an admixture of autobiography and historical examination of our national laws, policies, and enforcement regarding the undocumented people who are among us. It is a fuller examination than I have seen elsewhere written by a deft and sympathetic mind. Compelling in its empathy for others, yet accepting of harsh examination of the self. While she was never truly the ‘you’ because she did arrive as a documented alien, yet her feelings of never fitting in despite objective measures of success will be recognized by other marginalized people in our country. A good book for understanding complex issues even as our national attention is now focused elsewhere.

María Hinojosa knows that storytelling is political. She often writes that she wants to tell human stories, stories featuring the lives and struggles of real people. And that’s exactly what she’s done: over the course of a prolific career, she has given voice to the most marginalized among us, especially Latinx Americans. At NPR, CNN, and her own nonprofit news organization, Futuro Media, she has continually fought to tell the stories of immigrants, while facing discrimination and backlash herself. In Once I Was You, however, it is her own story—as an immigrant, a survivor, and a Latina—that is on full display.

Hinojosa’s memoir covers a broad swath of her life, from her journey to the United States from Mexico at three years old to her current reporting on the border crisis. Her personal story is interspersed with cutaways to U.S. immigration history. Although it often reads as a blow-by-blow of her life—her first (white) boyfriend, move-in day at Barnard College, fights with her husband—what is most compelling about Hinojosa’s story is her own struggle to tell it.

While Hinojosa is a prolific and talented woman who has hustled throughout her life, balancing jobs and stories with kids and family, she recounts facing pushback at every stage in her career as a journalist. At the same time she was winning awards for her coverage of Latinx life in America with CNN, she was belittled and pushed off air in favor of younger, prettier, whiter anchors. While she was gaining national recognition for her groundbreaking radio show, Latino USA, NPR consistently tried to cancel it, and silence her voice, in favor of “less niche” shows.

Her story is a stark reminder that even those who uplift and amplify the voices of the marginalized are not exempt from a culture that devalues women, people of color, and immigrants. For Hinojosa, preserving her journalistic voice meant founding her own news organization to ensure Latino USA‘s future when major media outlets refused to renew it.

However, this much-needed narrative is lost in many parts of the book. Storylines about Hinojosa’s father and family, reporting on the border crisis, and strained marriage trail off or pop in seemingly out of nowhere. U.S. immigration history, too, makes an appearance every once in a while, choppily occupying the last ten or fifteen pages of a chapter that was otherwise deeply focused on Hinojosa’s personal life. The book’s title, Once I Was You, also falls a little flat: while Hinojosa positions herself in parallel to the young children detained at the border, her position as the daughter of a college professor, a documented immigrant, and a member of the middle class ensured her privileges that were never available to many of those kids.

Despite its flaws, Once I Was You is required reading for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes of intersectional, human-focused storytelling. It’s the memoir of a living legend and a trailblazer in her field. Go read it.

Once I Was You is an interesting memoir written by award-winning Latinx journalist, Maria Hinojosa. Hinojosa uses the lens of an interaction with a young Honduran girl at the McAllen, Texas airport as a way into the subject of immigration. Hinojosa has etched an extraordinary career as a top-ranking journalist for such agencies as CNN, NPR, and her own network Futuro Media. The book recounts Hinojosa’s life in Chicago after immigrating to the United States at age one with her family. It also integrates the history of various Latinx immigrant group histories, especially the sets of circumstances that drive them from their home countries.

Hinojosa left Mexico City in 1961, as her father was a research physician at the University of Chicago. By the time she left to attend Barnard College in New York she had become thoroughly politicized to many leftist movements in Latin America. Thus, when she cut her teeth as a journalist at WKCR, she began making a name for herself running Spanish-language music shows and later reporting on leftists struggles in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Later, Hinojosa began a long career with NPR, CNN, and eventually running her own media organization Futuro Media. I appreciated learning about Hinojosa’s struggles in the media as she is truly one of our finest Latinx journalism trailblazers. The book meaningfully depicted her struggles both at work and at home; however, the background sections on Mexican immigration, Central American struggles, and U.S. immigration policy might have been more fully developed as it suffered somewhat from underdevelopment and/or organizational issues. Despite that shortcoming, the book provides excellent insight into Maria Hinojosa’s personal life and career trajectory.

In her memoir, Maria Hinojosa chronicles her life from her entry into the United States, to becoming a successful journalist who focuses on breaking news and issues relating to immigration and the Latinx community. I had no idea who Hinojosa was prior to reading her memoir, and throughout her story, I was constantly impressed by how tenacious she is in going after what she wants, even as she struggle with imposter syndrome (very relatable!). While this could have been a memoir focused entirely on her career, Hinojosa also blends in the history of immigration policy in the United States. I especially appreciated learning about Hinojosa's early career and some of the issues and events that she covered as a journalist. I didn't know about many seminal events related to Latin America and immigration that occurred in the 1980's and early 90's, so I appreciated learning more about them through Hinojosa's storytelling.

Hinojosa also does not shy away from detailing her personal life, which really helped humanize her incredible story. I appreciated her honesty as she opens up about her experience of sexual assault, and the struggles she faced in her personal relationships, and as a mother. It was really eye-opening to read about her constant fear of having her Green Card taken away—it is something I could never imagine, and I valued her honesty and openness. Hinojosa also mentions some of the struggles she faced when attempting to fit in to a majority white and affluent workplace, which are especially important to consider now as many industries are coming to terms with how welcoming or safe their workplace is.

While I really enjoyed reading about Hinojosa's experiences, I do think the narrative flow is a bit jumpy at times, as Hinojosa struggles to balance her personal life, career, and the historical asides that make up this memoir. At times I was confused about the timeline between events, especially when connecting her career and personal life. Even so, if you are interested in learning about journalism, immigration, or are just interested in learning about Hinojosa's life, then definitely pick this book up! There is a lot to learn here, and I am still in awe of Hinojosa's trailblazing career.

I really wanted to love this book and learn more about her since I am a Latina as well but I feel like there is some rather large disconnect. She came to country legally due to a professor father and talks about how hard her childhood was while also detailing the 3000 sq ft home/apartment they lived and her chance to go to private school. She traveled the world. Went on trips and seemed to have a lot just fall into her lap but rarely seemed to feel grateful for. When lamenting about losing her job soon, she then complains about and takes a trip to her country cabin (which, if you’re worried about money...). She seems to ignore just how damn privileged she is and that’s where she lost me. I enjoyed the first half or so. The data. The stuff about her family but this was sparser unfortunately.

Maria Hinojosa is my absolute favorite journalist: I listen to and watch just about everything that she produces. I find her to be inspiring and down to earth. I have learned a lot from her work as she tells stories that lie outside of the mainstream.

I had high expectations for this book but was a little bit disappointed. This book is not quite a memoir: Hinojosa does relate her life experiences and personal history in a compelling way that humanizes her. She relates her struggles breaking into and remaining in her field, and reveals her status as a rape survivor. However, the book is also largely a history of the US in terms of immigration. Parts of this are interesting but much of this drags on and on so that I found myself bored and skimming through these sections.

Hinojosa's writing style is unlike that of many other memoirs that I have read and enjoyed. It is more factual, (perhaps because she is a journalist rather than a novelist), and there is little imagery or other literary techniques to draw the reader in..