American Dirt: A New Novel by a "White" Latina Unleashes Fierce Debate

A new novel from a white Latina about a woman and her young son's trek across the U.S.-Mexico border has drawn praises, but has also been slammed by some critics, according to a published article in NBC News.

The novel written by Jeanine Cummins has unleashed social media warriors in regards to who gets to write about the experiences of Latino families when crossing the border of the U.S. and Mexico.

Jeanine Cummins got a seven-figure deal for the book after a ferocious bidding war. She identified herself as a white Latina because one of her grandmothers is from Puerto Rico.

The novel talks about a woman who owns a bookstore in Mexico and decided to migrate to the United States together with her son after her husband, a journalist, and other family members were killed by a Mexican drug cartel.

Several authors wrote a short description of the novel and this includes Sandra Cisneros, Julia Alvarez, Stephen King, Ann Patchett, and Don Winslow. Meanwhile, Winslow compared the novel to John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath".

Moreover, The Washinton Post described the novel as "thrilling and devastating." The movie rights of the movie have already been sold. After the release of the book, actresses Gina Rodriguez and Yalitza Aparicio posted their pictures while reading the book. They also urged their followers to join Oprah's book club where the book has recently been featured.

However, even though the book talks about the experiences of a Mexican woman and her son, it was slammed by several Latino critics. One of the most prominent critics of the book is Mexican-American author Myriam Gurba. Her stance has ignited a fierce debate.

Gurba criticized the content of the novel because it is coming from the perspective of an outsider from Mexico that perpetuates the stereotypes of the narco-state. She said that the novel could inspire President Donald Trump to say "this is why we must invade."

The associate professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin focusing on Latino literature, Domino Perez, supports the stand of Gurba. He said: "'American Dirt' is the continuation of a systemic problem that involves the publishing industry more broadly and the public need to consume particular kinds of stories about Mexicans, preferably ones that reinforce popular beliefs," Perez said. "It ticks all of the boxes: a quinceañera, narcos, machetes, Día de Muertos, violence, and suffering, lots of suffering. It's timely and does nothing to threaten the status quo."

Gurba and other Latino critics note that Cummins relies heavily on the work of other Latino authors. According to a recent survey, Latino critics feel that the works of Latino authors have been devalued in an industry that is mainly dominated by white Americans, which is about 80 percent.

Gurba said during the interview that, "'American Dirt' is precisely the kind of book that would appeal to readers because it is being marketed as a social justice and protest novel when instead it treats migrants like a zoo curiosity."

Meanwhile, Rigoberto Gonzales, a writer for The Los Angeles Times and a contributor for NBC News, praised the book's highly original story, but he also said that it got overshadowed by its "moments of pandering to social justice language."