News and views from the award-winning author of the novels The Skinny Years, America Libre, House Divided and Pancho Land

Monday, January 28, 2013

The US Quarantine Zones from the novel PANCHO LAND

From my novel PANCHO LAND: A map of the 47 urban "Quarantine Zones" where U.S. Hispanics are interned.


An excerpt from PANCHO LAND:

As the bus emerged from the empty man-made canyons of downtown Los Angeles, the first sight of their destination finally came into view: the graffiti-covered concrete wall marking the border of Quarantine Zone B. The high wall loomed malevolently above the paved banks of the Los Angeles River beyond the expanse of a long-abandoned railroad yard. The upper floors of a few multi-story buildings rose above the razor-sharp concertina wire atop the wall. 
The bus slowed to a crawl then resumed normal speed as they passed a checkpoint manned by heavily armed men in brown wide-brimmed hats. They were crossing the last line of the government’s defenses around the zone.  

Raul Ramos y Sanchez