Spare Parts: Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream - Paperback

by Joshua Davis (Author)

Joshua Davis's Spare Parts--now a major motion picture--is a story about overcoming insurmountable odds and the young men who proved they were among the most patriotic and talented Americans in this country--even as the country tried to kick them out.

Four undocumented Mexican American students, two great teachers, one robot-building contest . . .

In 2004, four Latino teenagers arrived at the Marine Advanced Technology Education Robotics Competition at the University of California, Santa Barbara. They were born in Mexico but raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where they attended an underfunded public high school. No one had ever suggested to Oscar, Cristian, Luis, or Lorenzo that they might amount to much--but two inspiring science teachers had convinced these impoverished, undocumented kids from the desert who had never even seen the ocean that they should try to build an underwater robot.

And build a robot they did. Their robot wasn't pretty, especially compared to those of the competition. They were going up against some of the best collegiate engineers in the country, including a team from MIT backed by a $10,000 grant from ExxonMobil. The Phoenix teenagers had scraped together less than $1,000 and built their robot out of scavenged parts. This was never a level competition--and yet, against all odds . . . they won!

But this is just the beginning for these four, whose story--which became a key inspiration to the DREAMers movement--will go on to include first-generation college graduations, deportation, bean-picking in Mexico, and service in Afghanistan.

Finalist for the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize
New York Times Best Seller

Front Jacket

In 2004, four Latino teenagers arrived at a national underwater robotics championship at
the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Oscar, Lorenzo, Cristian, and Luis were all born in Mexico but raised in Phoenix,
Arizona, where they grew up in constant fear of deportation. Their high school--
hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, no pool, little money to spare, and more than
80 percent of students below the poverty line--was the last place you'd expect to find
kids building an underwater robot. But two bighearted teachers believed that four unusual
students--a disciplined ROTC cadet, a rebellious would-be gang member, a brainy nerd,
and a quiet towering giant--needed something different in their lives.

Their robot, which they dubbed Stinky, wasn't much to look at, especially
compared to the competition. They were up against some of the best student engineers in
the country, including a team from MIT backed by a $10,000 grant from ExxonMobil.
The Phoenix teenagers had scraped together less than $1,000 and built their robot out of
scavenged parts, donations from bemused strangers, and, when Stinky sprang a leak just
moments before the competition, a handful of tampons.

But this contest is just the beginning for these four young men, whose story
takes us from the unpaved roads of West Phoenix to the halls of Congress and from the
battlefields of Afghanistan to vigilante-style murders in the American Southwest. It is a
story whose impact is still being felt today. It is the story of a fight for the new American
Dream.

Back Jacket

In 2004, four Latino teenagers arrived at a national underwater robotics championship at
the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Oscar, Lorenzo, Cristian, and Luis were all born in Mexico but raised in Phoenix,
Arizona, where they grew up in constant fear of deportation. Their high school--
hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, no pool, little money to spare, and more than
80 percent of students below the poverty line--was the last place you'd expect to find
kids building an underwater robot. But two bighearted teachers believed that four unusual
students--a disciplined ROTC cadet, a rebellious would-be gang member, a brainy nerd,
and a quiet towering giant--needed something different in their lives.

Their robot, which they dubbed Stinky, wasn't much to look at, especially
compared to the competition. They were up against some of the best student engineers in
the country, including a team from MIT backed by a $10,000 grant from ExxonMobil.
The Phoenix teenagers had scraped together less than $1,000 and built their robot out of
scavenged parts, donations from bemused strangers, and, when Stinky sprang a leak just
moments before the competition, a handful of tampons.

But this contest is just the beginning for these four young men, whose story
takes us from the unpaved roads of West Phoenix to the halls of Congress and from the
battlefields of Afghanistan to vigilante-style murders in the American Southwest. It is a
story whose impact is still being felt today. It is the story of a fight for the new American
Dream.

Author Biography

Joshua Davis is the cofounder of Epic Magazine and longtime writer at Wired, where his work was nominated for a National Magazine Award for feature writing. He is the executive producer of the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Little America, which tells stories of immigrants across the United States. He is also the author of The Underdog, a memoir about his experiences as an arm wrestler, backward runner, and matador. He lives in San Francisco with his family.