This week my students hand in the first drafts of their community profiles. I’ve asked them to approach someone in their community with an important story to tell. We’re writing of teen-age pregnancies, gender issues, the threat of deportation “Put yourselves in someone else’s shoes,” I tell my students. We’re searching for a deeper understanding of uncomfortable situations. That’s empathy.

Below I share my most recent blog post for a novel I just read about two immigrants that share their passion for sex, love, and the American Dream. I also came across a similar story here in Mexicali that was stranger than fiction. I found myself between two worlds colliding. I don’t how much I understand of either story, but writing about it makes my heart pulse.