A Home on the Field
The Story of Los Jets!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laurence Hughes
(212) 207-7110
larry.hughes@harpercollins.com

A SMALL TOWN SOCCER TEAM ILLUMINATES
AMERICA'S IMMIGRATION DEBATE

A HOME ON THE FIELD:
How One Championship Team Inspires Hope
for the Revival of Small Town America
By Paul Cuadros

"A worthy social commentary and biographical portrait. . . . the author's description of [the
team's] victories is nicely balanced with a broad overview of Latinos' relatively recent
migration to the American South, with a conclusion infused with cautious optimism."
--Kirkus Reviews

"The team's struggles bring the town conflicts into sharp relief and give Cuadros a sturdy
framework for exploring meaty issues of class and ethnic conflict. In alternating terse and
tender prose, he delves into his players' backstories and captures their buoyant camaraderie
to shape an inspiring underdog's tale without romanticizing the team's painful immigrant
realities. . . . This feel-good read coincides neatly with the start of a new school year,
staking its faith on fresh starts."
--Publishers Weekly

In the tradition of Daniel Coyle's Hardball and H.G. Bissinger's Friday Night Lights, A HOME ON THE FIELD: How One Championship Team Inspires Hope for the Revival of Small Town America (Rayo/September 1, 2006/$22.95, hardcover) tells the true story of the Jets, a soccer team composed of immigrant kids who shocked the soccer world in North Carolina and made it to the state soccer championship finals.
For years, Latino students at Jordan-Matthews High School in Siler City begged their school to form a soccer team but they were turned down time and time again. Journalist Paul Cuadros took up their cause. But along the way, the Jets had to endure all the foibles and problems that plague immigrant kids in high school: dropping out, feelings of alienation, pressure to work and support their families, and of course living in America without documents. Cuadros had to keep the players in school, guide them through the pitfalls of life here in the United States, and forge them into a winning program.

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A HOME ON THE FIELD/cont'd

Even as the Jets struggled, so did Siler City. Like small towns all over America, Siler City was changing because of the rapid influx of Latino poultry processing workers--a workforce it desperately needed. And like many communities, the town felt besieged by people it didn't know and couldn't understand. Finally, the issue came to a head when an anti-immigrant rally was held in front of City Hall that featured no less than former Klansman David Duke as the main speaker. The townspeople had to decide if they would stand with Duke and other anti-immigrant hardliners, or if they would find a way to accept the new-comers that were transforming their community. In just three seasons, the Jets made it all the way to the state championship finals to face Lejeune High School, home of the Camp Lejeune Marines in Jacksonville. The Lejeune Devil Pups were the number one team in the state. They were heavily favored to win, but the Jets were determined to be champions. The team no one wanted would fight to make their dream come true.

The story of A HOME ON THE FIELD and the Jets is America's story, as it comes to grips with how to deal with the migration of Latino immigrants both legal and undocumented. It shows how one community and one team can come together and provide a greater lesson for America on the controversial subject of immigration. About the Author Paul Cuadros is an award-winning investigative reporter. His family moved to the United States from Perú in 1960. In 1999 he won an Alicia Patterson Foundation fellowship to write about the impact of Latino poultry workers on rural towns in the South. He moved From Washington DC to Pittsboro, North Carolina, to conduct his research and stayed to document the growing Latino community in the Southeast. About the Book Title: A HOME ON THE FIELD Subtitle: How One Championship Team Inspires Hope for the Revival of Small Town America Author: Paul Cuadros Publication Date: September 1, 2006 Price: $22.95, hardcover Pages: 288 Illustrations: 8-page photo insert ISBN: 0-06-112027-8 Imprint: Rayo Book is also available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Search under A Home on the Field.