An Evening with Luis Alberto Urrea for No More Deaths

On February 13, 2020, No More Deaths hosted a benefit entitled An Evening with Luis Alberto Urrea at El Casino Ballroom. Luis Alberto Urrea is the acclaimed author of 18 best-selling books. Born in Tijuana, Mexico to a Mexican father and an American mother, Urrea uses his dual-culture life experiences to explore greater themes of love, loss, and triumph. He lived in Tucson for a time in the 90s where he connected with some of his literary heroes, began The Hummingbird’s Daughter, and met his wife Cindy. He continues to be a frequent visitor to Tucson and has presented at the Tucson Festival of Books each year since its inception.

No More Deaths is an advocacy group based in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona, United States, that seeks to end the deaths of undocumented immigrants crossing the desert regions near the United States-Mexico border.

Reverend John Fife was the moderator. He served as Pastor of Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson for 35 years. He was a co-founder of the Sanctuary Movement in the 1980s and is a founding volunteer with Samaritans and No More Deaths, No Mas Muertes.

The program begins with Reverend Fife introducing Luis Alberto Urrea. Urrea described the events in his life that lead to his bearing witness. He then went on to tell a story inspired by a nephew who thought he was born in the United States and discovered that he wasn’t when he ran into problems with the law. A version of the story can be found in The Water Museum.

Recorded and produced by Amanda Shauger. This is part 1. Thank you for listening to 30 Minutes. You can find this and all recent episodes on the 30 Minutes program page at KXCI.org where you can find our social media links and subscribe to the podcast.