American Dirt is an incredibly powerful story. It is a story not only of Mexican migrants as they flee their country, but of the relationships forged along the way and the lengths people will travel to protect their loved ones. It is a story about humanity and the empathy we share even if our experiences are vastly different to one another.

I strongly believe that we all have the privilege to be storytellers. If writers can only share the stories that they have lived and experienced, the world would be depraved of brilliant and very necessary narratives. Cummins is no exception to this rule and it seems she has bore the brunt of criticism that should essentially be directed to the publishing industry.

The lack of diversity and the unwillingness to publish stories written by minorities is what we should be discussing. (Be that Latinx in America, Aboriginal in Australia etc.) We know there are people eager to share their story, but to deny them their chance to be published, is denying them a voice. It is also denying a large community of readers the opportunity to learn more, to understand about communities other than their own. It denies a community of potential readers to identify with someone who shares a story similar to their own. You cannot elevate and praise the voice of a fiction writer when you restrict the voice of those very same people you are portraying.

I applaud Oprah for not acting in haste when the calls came to drop the book as her Book Club selection, which would have been a very easy thing to do and appease critics. But instead Oprah took this controversy and opened a dialogue. The episode addresses and discusses everything that has angered and upset people and speaks not only with Cummins, but also Reyna Grande, Julissa Arce, Esther Cepeda as well as the publishing house, Macmillian. I definitely recommend watching it if you are able to.