As some may be aware, a caravan of migrants from Central America is winding its way north to the United States border as you read this post. It departed from Honduras in mid-October and around 7,500 people are estimated to be a part. This caravan has been highly politicized in anticipation for the midterm elections; after all, demonizing the people in it was one of Trump’s largest campaign tactics, and closing the US/Mexico border was his largest promise. As expected, Trump has not been silent. He tweeted that “criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in” with the caravan, which has since been disputed and Trump has walked back on. However, the statement did the trick to stoke up the old fears and xenophobia that was so publicized, especially around the 2016 election — though we should not forget that it has not gone away. On October 25th, the Washington Post released that upwards of 1,000 United States troops, most of them active duty, will be deployed to the border. While it is legally complicated to get the army involved in domestic situations, they will be in support roles for the border patrol. Most recently, Trump has considered completely shutting down the border. A storm is approaching from Honduras, and we will have to see how exactly United States officials will respond when the caravan arrives.
I am glad that we watched Sin Nombre as a class with this intense reality and political discourse that is happening today. While most if not all of us imagined the conditions of the illegal immigrant’s journey to the United States, now we have an image to the caravan. It is harder to Other humans when you have had a glimpse into their lives, even if that glimpse is fictional; this has been the most enriching part of this class for me thus far, and why I believe many of us chose to take it. When approached with such vitriol and hate of the Other, learning about borders in all their shapes and forms is the first step to consider how to dismantle them.
Something that should not be glossed over here as well is Trump’s plan to delegitimize the transgender community, another effort that strips rights from minority communities. On October 22nd, the Department of Health and Human Services released a memo that proposed “sex” to be defined as “a person’s status as male or female based on immutable biological traits identifiable by or before birth.” This proposal would completely strip the identity of an entire community in an official sense.
I will also use this space to give a quick plug for democracy. Please do participate in this election, whatever political views you align with — and this doesn’t necessarily mean just send the absentee ballot, but to engage in discourse about what the effects of electing members to office will be. Two things to remember, agree or disagree with, and discuss: we as college students have power in our privilege, and must remember to not insulate ourselves in just this community (it’s easy to forget about the world, I do it all the time). And having a democratic voice is a wonderful asset that is often overlooked. How will we use it?
—Aidan
This comment won’t be long because today’s election day, and I’m worried I might cry. I want to talk not about the migrants themselves, or even how 45 has discussed the migrants, but rather how our news has covered the topic. Because I think our news sources have failed us. 45 only brings up the migrant caravan as a political ploy, and just like all his purposefully racist statements, the media has lapped it up, thereby furthering 45’s political strategy. News sources seem to think that both sides have merit and deserve coverage when in fact the opposite is true. The migrant caravan is nowhere near the US border and will likely disband as it passes through Mexico. Why then, should news sources cover it?
I really appreciate your appeal to discourse. Engaging in democracy is more than just voting and believing what you believe and creating communities of like-minded people, but engaging empathetically and effectively with those who disagree with you. We cannot allow ourselves to be tolerant of systemic oppression and violence, and we need to take direct action to impact our political system for the better, but we need to remember when we engage person-to-person that we can never disregard empathy, even when it seems impossible.
Ok, I really like this piece. I totally agree with your idea about how Sin Nombre provided just a slight glimpse into their lives of these displace people, and allows us to have a slightly more empathy.
I really want to look ate one idea that you bring up, as I find it particularly fascinating: “When approached with such vitriol and hate of the Other, learning about borders in all their shapes and forms is the first step to consider how to dismantle them.” This is so interesting, and almost self-contradictory, yet accurate to think about. That the only way to remove that which divides us is to analyze it, and really think about it critically. Ask the hard questions like, “Are we really that different?” and push ourselves to confront social biases, as they relate to ‘othering’ and borders.
Thanks for addressing this issue in this space. As the next adult generation, it’s our job to be politically aware and lean into discomfort, even when political issues aren’t necessarily affecting us. Since 2016 especially, biased information has plagued the country. Socially aware people have a bigger job than ever- to fight against these notions and boost the voices of the thousands of people who are being compartmentalized. Whether it be through voting, art, literature, activism, or any of the above, it’s important that we soften the borders that cause great amounts of discourse.
First I just want to say THANK YOU for bringing up what is happening in the world around us. I, like you, have found it easy to get caught up in our bubble and haven’t been keeping up on current events as much as I’d like to. So much of what’s happening right now is in connection to our class. I, too, found Sin Nombre to be one of the most influential parts of this course thus far. The beauty of art (and literature) to generate empathy for people and their stories is so powerful and so important especially right now. In response to your question about how to best use our democratic voice, voting is essential, but I think more than just voting is being loud about what we believe in. It’s easy to hear about these events- the caravan, the transgender proposal, and feel discouraged and lose hope. We can’t let the opinions of the powerful few dominate the narrative. All we can do is shout in response- actually attend protests, write letters, contact our local governments….
The feeling of isolation and insulation to the outside world is one that I know well. During my year abroad in northern Norway, it was easy to ignore the world of the United States. That is, until my politically minded, patriotic, Norwegian relatives would forcefully bring the topic of my country’s failures to the forefront of my mind. Even though it is incredibly possible to be insulated from the outside world here at Middlebury, I am glad to be going to school with young people who not only are engaged and active in the world around them but are encouraging others to do so. So thank you for that, Aidan. This post is a huge encouragement to me to stay active and aware despite my desire to curl up into a ball and to forget the world outside.
Thank you for drawing attention to such relevant issues. Within our nation and its federal scope, there are many borders created among identities, issues, and resulting policies. Particularly within United States democracy, the rise of partisanship has lead to the separation of citizens into two distinct parties, represented by contrasting opinions and perspectives. As seen in the most recent presidential election, increasing association with liberal or conservative ideologies has forced political candidates to become further radicalized in campaign efforts to appeal to members of an ever more stratified society. This is in turn reflected among government policies and processes, such as those brought to attention in this post.
One other pertinent event not mentioned was the shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh this past Saturday. Upon learning of this event, I was incredibly shaken. This act of violence was geographically so close to family, friends, home, and heart. A place of worship and peace crossed into the bounds of hate, established as the site of one of the deadliest acts against the Jewish community to ever take place in the United States. In response to this issue, our president insisted this tragedy could have been avoided if an armed guard had been located on-premises, rather than focusing on preventative actions regarding firearms. This, along with other statements and administrative decisions, has attracted a contentious range of both public support and criticism. Regardless of political association, the bounded state of our society leaves me incredibly disappointed. When do policymakers stop focusing on the national borders and turn instead to examine the divides within our own society? When can we take the diversity of our country and use it to enhance our politics rather than as a source of alienation through policies? Overall, in light of recent events, I will be very interested in learning the results of this midterm election.
Thank you for this, Aidan.