What do you call someone who breaks the law by crossing the border into the United States? An illegal? An alien? Jesús?

In 1948, Woody Guthrie asked a similar question when a plane carrying four Americans and 28 Mexican nationals crashed in California. News coverage of the crash identified the Americans, while the Mexicans went unnamed.

In this podcast, Abby Wendle tells the story of two men who fought to restore the names of these “Deportees.”

Hear it first. Subscribe to This Land Radio in iTunes.

Links
Woody Guthrie Center
Tim Z. Hernandez’s Blog
Complete List of Plane Crash Victims’ Names

Music
“Inceput” by Circus Marcus
“Gone” by Ignatz
“Valmories” and “Microdepa” by Jorge Bachmann
“Littoral” by Triggor Wind Trio
“Motherless Child” by Sweet Honey in the Rock
“First Breath After Coma” by Explosions in the Sky
“Candor” performed live by Balmorhea
“Impression” by Kosta T
“Le soir j’me raconte des histoires dans la cave” by Circus Marcus 
“Tropical” Sunrise by Podington Bear
“Deportee” by Barbara Dane
“Deportee” by Lance Canales and The Flood