Mexican-Americans search for their 'Homelands' and find themselves

Corchado was right about the math. He is also right about how, with Mexican-Americans in the United States, no two journeys are the same.

His book is about four friends -- all of them Americans of Mexican origin who gather in a Mexican restaurant in Philadelphia in 1987. In the shadow of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which legalized nearly 3 million people, the compadres start a dialogue about immigration, politics, family, love and how to succeed as an American while remaining Mexican.

The conversation lasts 30 years, against the backdrop of a massive migration of people from Mexico to the United States.

Corchado's first book was about what Mexico is becoming because of Americans' appetite for illegal drugs. The new book is about identity and what America has become due to its addiction to illegal-immigrant labor.

The veterano chronicler can these days be found back home in El Paso, where his parents settled after leaving Mexico. He now serves as the Morning News' U.S.-Mexico border correspondent.

Corchado considers himself a Mexican-American. Raised in the United States but still in love with Mexico, he doesn't feel like he has to choose one country over another.

This is where we're different. A major theme in "Homelands" is fitting into the United States. I've never worried much about that. This is my country. I don't feel emotionally connected to Mexico, which is just another exotic place to visit on vacation.

Corchado will have none of it.

"Mexico is right next door, a constant reminder of our homeland, or our parents' or grandparents' homeland," he tells me. "It's like slamming the door to your relatives when they're standing right across from you. Even those who want to forget find it increasingly difficult to cut the ties. I certainly don't want to forget."

I respect that. Yet my loyalty lies on this side of the border. I despise those wealthy Mexican elites who look down on poor, uneducated and dark-skinned immigrants washing dishes in Las Vegas or picking peaches near Fresno.

Corchado and I are different varieties of Mexican-Americans. I'm a Chicano Yankee Doodle Dandy. My friend is a free agent who won't commit to one team.

He is also like the child in a troubled marriage who steps in-between his parents when they're bickering. Mexico is his mother. The United States is his father. The border -- the Southwest's version of a cultural Demilitarized Zone -- is his living room.

But what a perfect spot to gather, sip tequila and swap good stories.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.