jesus christ that is scary! a friend of mine is in training to be a customs agent and she went on a trip to san diego to check out how border patrol works, she said she hated it and would never feel right doing it. the mexican border is such a fascinating/complex/heartbreaking/crazy place.
I don't know if you have ever been on the 8 driving towards el centro, but it follows right along the border. there are a couple of check points. kaveh has been hassled by them before, and unfortunately, unless you want a violent altercation, you just have to go along with their crap. anyway, through the mountains leaving san diego where the 8 is very close to the border, there are giant tubs of water for those trying to cross. the conditions are so harsh, I couldn't even imagine trying to do it.
in sierra vista, the elevation is much higher and the summers a bit milder, I would like to think there are less deaths in that area from dehydration.
it's really strange to see the mentality of the people in these areas. so many of them don't see at as a humanitarian issue and only as a legal issue. as far as drug trafficking goes, that is some scary, horrible shit. but I don't understand how there can be so much animosity towards struggling people taking what they must see as there only chance, and at such a high price.
i've always felt that the legality of the issue is too often used as a cover for racism. every "discussion" i've ever read or heard regarding illegal immigration always descends very quickly into the worse assumptions about mexicans and mexico. it also never fails that people who oppose immigrants coming to this country from the southern border try to wrap up a "solution" in an asinine package of "lets build a wall and that'll keep them out!" i've known people that trekked the desert and jumped over fences to get here and they're doing it out of desperation. not only that, but they leave their families without any security that they will ever see them again. my parents and i came here with visas but my parents couldn't go back (long story) and it was 16years before we could see our relatives again - thats a fucking long time! but yeah, when people risk their lives crossing deserts and leave their families behind - i don't think a border is going to deter them. people should be glad they never have to make that decision.
they have a wall in AZ. it's very strange to look at. I might have a picture of it from the mountain we climbed.
although I agree that racism is definitely a major part of the discussion, I don't think it always is. there is a difference between generations much older than we are, those who came from the depression (although many of them are racist). the work ethic is much different and I think they truly believe that illegal immigrants are taking jobs, because they see these jobs as things they did growing up and don't understand that they are not really the kinds of jobs that most americans are willing to do anymore.
that being said, I don't think that is necessarily a majority opinion, just one that I have observed.
a good friend of mine is here on visa from canada. altho he has been here many years, he is stuck in immigration limbo and he is not allowed to return to canada to see any of his fam.
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in sierra vista, the elevation is much higher and the summers a bit milder, I would like to think there are less deaths in that area from dehydration.
it's really strange to see the mentality of the people in these areas. so many of them don't see at as a humanitarian issue and only as a legal issue. as far as drug trafficking goes, that is some scary, horrible shit. but I don't understand how there can be so much animosity towards struggling people taking what they must see as there only chance, and at such a high price.
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i've known people that trekked the desert and jumped over fences to get here and they're doing it out of desperation. not only that, but they leave their families without any security that they will ever see them again. my parents and i came here with visas but my parents couldn't go back (long story) and it was 16years before we could see our relatives again - thats a fucking long time! but yeah, when people risk their lives crossing deserts and leave their families behind - i don't think a border is going to deter them. people should be glad they never have to make that decision.
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although I agree that racism is definitely a major part of the discussion, I don't think it always is. there is a difference between generations much older than we are, those who came from the depression (although many of them are racist). the work ethic is much different and I think they truly believe that illegal immigrants are taking jobs, because they see these jobs as things they did growing up and don't understand that they are not really the kinds of jobs that most americans are willing to do anymore.
that being said, I don't think that is necessarily a majority opinion, just one that I have observed.
a good friend of mine is here on visa from canada. altho he has been here many years, he is stuck in immigration limbo and he is not allowed to return to canada to see any of his fam.
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