Loving Immigrants in America

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps . . . I hope. Loving Immigrants in America presents the possibilities of stories, not the necessary results of argument.This represents a beautiful opening of the discipline of philosophy, returningus to Plato’s Socrates, and his much wider faith in logoi, which also includednarratives, myths, allegories, music, and poetry. Like the Americanphilosophers, literary figures, and musicians that serve as his inspiration,Campos unstiffens our theories about what constitutes philosophy, remindsus that we can do more than merely engage in internecine arguments, andchallenges immigrants and non-immigrants alike to listen. * Radical Philosophy Review *
Loving Immigrants in America is a true crossover book: it is first and foremost a presentation of Campos’ experiences as a Costa Rican living in the U.S., so readers who have no philosophical background can glean insights from his interactions with hostile and loving United-Statesians, and they can draw their own conclusions about how best to love immigrants in America. But unlike a typical memoir, Loving Immigrants in America is grounded in philosophy, specifically in American pragmatism. Campos’ framework is subtle but will be familiar to those who have read Charles S. Peirce. . . . Although he is not naïve as he was when he got to la Yunai, Campos still opts for gritty grace instead of the metal pylons that become border walls. He refuses to take to bed. He wants to remain “alive and awake” like the Americans that his mentor Doug Anderson writes about. Campos shows us what can happen when grace is extended by immigrants, who have every reason to withhold it, to the undeserving. * Inter-American Journal of Philosophy *
Campos's stories in his book Loving Immigrants in America: An Experiential Philosophy of Personal Interaction tell of a successful immigration process. Through the tensions and disappointments, the love, friendships, and hope, he developed a porous identity and an open heart, to be a Costa Rican who calls the United States his home. * The Pluralist *
A timely contribution to the tradition of American philosophy (James, Du Bois, Addams, Peirce, Lugones) that starts with lived experience and with the notion that narratives sometimes provoke more philosophical reflection and understanding that argumentation. Immigration is more than a legal status, it is a lived experience; full of not only of conflict, hatred, and xenophobia but possibilities for mutual understanding and learning. -- Gregory Fernando Pappas, Texas A&M University
Daniel Campos gifts us with a picaresque of American Pragmatism and American literature: on the road with Kerouac and Clemens, blending the experiential—memorable narratives of personal “saunterings”—with the philosophical, reflections informed by Peirce and Thoreau, Addams and Lugones. These evocative narratives and lyrical reflections on experience and meaning, the timely observations on the state of our culture, are enriched by his perspective as a citizen of Transamerica, all informed by an insightful grasp of American literature and philosophy. A Pilgrim’s Progress for our challenging times. -- Robert King, Utah State University
Loving Immigrants in America is a gift. Daniel Campos has a rare capacity to write in a way that is deeply reflective, with the philosophical and personal all intertwined. I thank him so much for sharing his insights with us. -- Marilyn Fischer, University of Dayton
Loving Immigrants in America is filled with insights, with the turn of every page the discovery of something new. In part this is because Daniel Campos is a sojourner, a saunterer, always on the move, continuously encountering new places and new people. But it is also a result of the quality of attention that he pays, his capacity for listening, his skillfulness as a reader…Campos has produced not only a compelling memoir, but also a text that serves as a unique introduction to American philosophy. -- Michael Raposa, Lehigh University