THE STORY CAN NOW BE HEARD.
Shadows in Paradise: The Dark History of the CNMI Guest Worker Program is now available as an audiobook.
I’m giving 5 listeners a free copy.
No contest. No purchase necessary.
I’m looking for 5 people willing to listen to this forgotten chapter of American history—and help Carry the Story.
The first 5 eligible listeners to sign up will receive a promo code for a free Audible copy of Shadows in Paradise.
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Limited to 5 available promo codes. Eligibility and Audible marketplace restrictions apply. While supplies last.
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What Is Shadows in Paradise?
Shadows in Paradise: The Dark History of the CNMI Guest Worker Program examines the history of foreign workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the system that classified workers as temporary even as the islands relied on their labor year after year.
The audiobook explores this largely forgotten chapter of American history and asks an uncomfortable question:
How long must someone live and work somewhere before “temporary” stops describing reality?
Shadows in Paradise puts the history of the workers back on the record—and asks listeners to help Carry the Story.
What is Shadows in Paradise about?
Shadows in Paradise: The Dark History of the CNMI Guest Worker Program examines the history of foreign workers in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the contradiction created when supposedly temporary labor became a long-term part of the islands' economy and community.
What does CNMI stand for?
CNMI stands for the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, located just north of Guam.
What is the central question behind Shadows in Paradise?
The book asks: How long must someone live and work somewhere before “temporary” stops describing reality?
Its central argument is that permanent contribution deserves a path toward permanent belonging.
Is Shadows in Paradise available as an audiobook?
Yes. Shadows in Paradise: The Dark History of the CNMI Guest Worker Program: The Forgotten Workers Who Built America's Islands is now available as an audiobook.
How can I get a free audiobook copy?
A limited number of Audible promotional copies are being offered through this page. Enter your email address using the form above to participate. Availability and Audible marketplace restrictions apply.
Why tell this history now?
The workers' voices and experiences existed, but too often they were ignored, marginalized, or allowed to disappear from public memory. Shadows in Paradise seeks to preserve that history and put it back on the record. The history is especially relevant today as the CNMI again considers extending its reliance on the CW foreign worker program while describing foreign workers as essential to the CNMI economy yet continuing to classify them as temporary. After decades of workers living, working, and contributing to the islands, the same question remains urgent: How long can “temporary” continue to describe a workforce the CNMI says it needs for its future?
What does “Carry the Story” mean?
Carry the Story means telling another person what you learned, recommending or sharing the book, discussing the history, leaving an honest review, and refusing to let the story end with you.
Temporary cannot mean forever.
For decades, foreign workers helped build and sustain the Northern Mariana Islands while being classified as temporary.
Shadows in Paradise puts their history back on the record.
The workers were never temporary.
Listen to the story.
Remember the people.
Carry the Story.
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