Saturday, September 30, 2006
That's It, I'm Moving to Mexico. Wait...
Well, as predicted by yours truly, the Senate has passed the "immigration" bill authorizing a fence along 1/3 of the U.S./Mexican border and funding it to the tune of 1.2 billion dollars. Between this bill and the anti-terror bill this week has been a monumental failure of public policy by the United States Senate. I'm pretty disappointed. Here's what disappoints me even more: if the Democrats win control of this distinguished body in November then there is a good chance, at least in this regard, that it will be more of the same. The vote to authorize the fence was 80-19. Not much of a fight by anyone's standards.
Friday, September 29, 2006
I Am a Derek Webb Fanboy
The title of the post says it all.
Everything except for this: Derek Webb, former member of Caedmon's Call, and currently an amazing folk/country/indie/rock/whatever solo artist, is giving away his latest album. On the internet. Free. Yeah, free. I love him so much.
Click that link, go download this thing, and then buy his other stuff. You won't regret it.
Everything except for this: Derek Webb, former member of Caedmon's Call, and currently an amazing folk/country/indie/rock/whatever solo artist, is giving away his latest album. On the internet. Free. Yeah, free. I love him so much.
Click that link, go download this thing, and then buy his other stuff. You won't regret it.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
I <3 Good Public Policy
Today the Senate is voting on a piece of legislation that has already passed the House of Representatives two times. This means, for those of you who weren't government majors and who slept through civics, that it is this vote and a signature by the President of the United States away from becoming law.
I wish I could inform you that what they are voting on is a comprehensive bill addressing immigration in the United States, but that would be a lie. What they are voting on is a proposal to spend several years and several billion dollars building a 700 mile extension on the fence that currently separates the U.S. from Mexico. If you want to see the specifics of the bill you can do so by heading to http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/issues/bills/?billtype=H.R.&billnumb=6061&congress=109. By now I hope you've figured out that I think this is a bad idea. To get a sense of why let's start by taking a step back and looking at some history.
Prior to the early 1990's the U.S./Mexican border had almost always been a pretty fluid place. Workers, especially seasonal migrants who would work in agriculture, passed easily from one country to the next. No one considered a secure border to be either a possibility or a necessity. It was in El Paso, Texas that this started to change.
It used to be that the border patrol would deport people back to their country of origin when they were found to be in the country illegally. What happened in El Paso during the early 1990's was that they decided to shift their policy to something that they named Operation Gate Keeper. The premise of Operation Gate Keeper was simple. The border patrol in El Paso knew that it would be impossible for them to keep illegal immigrants out of the United States entirely, but they figured that it would be possible to do it in El Paso.
To accomplish this they set up what was basically a goal line defense in football. Agents would station themselves along the border facing Mexico, each vehicle being responsible for making sure that no one crossed between themselves and the next vehicle. Not surprisingly, this policy actually worked. People in El Paso were ecstatic that they no longer had immigrants running through their back yards at all hours of the day and night.
Not surprisingly, after Operation Gate Keeper was established in El Paso, and later in San Diego, it did not stem the tide of immigration, it simply diverted it to other places. One of those places was right here in Aqua Prieta/Douglas. The tragedy of Operation Gate Keeper in this place, and in many others, is that by cutting off the safer routes of travel through towns and ranches it pushes people further out into the wilderness where they try to cross in areas like deserts and rivers, often with lethal consequences. Making it harder to cross the border in one place doesn't stop people from crossing, it just makes it much more difficult to do so, and much more lethal.
And this is why a 700 mile extension won't work. 700 miles is nowhere close to the amount of fencing you would need to completely secure the border (something I don't believe is possible with any amount of fence, but more on that later). 700 miles is enough to stop people from crossing in habitated areas, and this is a big problem. The more remote the crossing place, the greater the risk of injury or death to the migrant.
In addition to this problem, this legislation further promotes a public policy that is both morally and practically bankrupt. Not only will it increase the number of dead immigrants, it will also fail to solve the immigration "crisis." It will not make America "safer," and it will not address the economic realities that bring people to this country. Instead it will waste several years, several billion dollars, and many lives.
I pray that tomorrow the Senate rejects this bill, and if they do not, that the President does not sign it. I fear that if it passes we will find ourselves a few years from now building yet another fence, desperately trying to keep people out.
I wish I could inform you that what they are voting on is a comprehensive bill addressing immigration in the United States, but that would be a lie. What they are voting on is a proposal to spend several years and several billion dollars building a 700 mile extension on the fence that currently separates the U.S. from Mexico. If you want to see the specifics of the bill you can do so by heading to http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/issues/bills/?billtype=H.R.&billnumb=6061&congress=109. By now I hope you've figured out that I think this is a bad idea. To get a sense of why let's start by taking a step back and looking at some history.
Prior to the early 1990's the U.S./Mexican border had almost always been a pretty fluid place. Workers, especially seasonal migrants who would work in agriculture, passed easily from one country to the next. No one considered a secure border to be either a possibility or a necessity. It was in El Paso, Texas that this started to change.
It used to be that the border patrol would deport people back to their country of origin when they were found to be in the country illegally. What happened in El Paso during the early 1990's was that they decided to shift their policy to something that they named Operation Gate Keeper. The premise of Operation Gate Keeper was simple. The border patrol in El Paso knew that it would be impossible for them to keep illegal immigrants out of the United States entirely, but they figured that it would be possible to do it in El Paso.
To accomplish this they set up what was basically a goal line defense in football. Agents would station themselves along the border facing Mexico, each vehicle being responsible for making sure that no one crossed between themselves and the next vehicle. Not surprisingly, this policy actually worked. People in El Paso were ecstatic that they no longer had immigrants running through their back yards at all hours of the day and night.
Not surprisingly, after Operation Gate Keeper was established in El Paso, and later in San Diego, it did not stem the tide of immigration, it simply diverted it to other places. One of those places was right here in Aqua Prieta/Douglas. The tragedy of Operation Gate Keeper in this place, and in many others, is that by cutting off the safer routes of travel through towns and ranches it pushes people further out into the wilderness where they try to cross in areas like deserts and rivers, often with lethal consequences. Making it harder to cross the border in one place doesn't stop people from crossing, it just makes it much more difficult to do so, and much more lethal.
And this is why a 700 mile extension won't work. 700 miles is nowhere close to the amount of fencing you would need to completely secure the border (something I don't believe is possible with any amount of fence, but more on that later). 700 miles is enough to stop people from crossing in habitated areas, and this is a big problem. The more remote the crossing place, the greater the risk of injury or death to the migrant.
In addition to this problem, this legislation further promotes a public policy that is both morally and practically bankrupt. Not only will it increase the number of dead immigrants, it will also fail to solve the immigration "crisis." It will not make America "safer," and it will not address the economic realities that bring people to this country. Instead it will waste several years, several billion dollars, and many lives.
I pray that tomorrow the Senate rejects this bill, and if they do not, that the President does not sign it. I fear that if it passes we will find ourselves a few years from now building yet another fence, desperately trying to keep people out.
Friday, September 22, 2006
This Could Have Been A Chapter in My Thesis
Hey friends. I have been especially busy of late, something that I keep saying, and which continues to be true. I have so many things I want to write here and I am hoping that in the next few weeks I will have the time to do that.
Today I want to post this article http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/09/13/righteous/index.html for your reading pleasure. It is a fascinating look at young Christians in America through the lens of Mars Hill church in Seattle.
I was riveted, shocked, frightened, and inspired by what I read there. I hope you find it challenging as well.
Today I want to post this article http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/09/13/righteous/index.html for your reading pleasure. It is a fascinating look at young Christians in America through the lens of Mars Hill church in Seattle.
I was riveted, shocked, frightened, and inspired by what I read there. I hope you find it challenging as well.
Friday, September 15, 2006
All the Girls Pose the Same For Pictures, All the Boys Have the Same Girls' Hair
I have come to Agua Prieta so many times now that the trips just sort of blend together. I remember distinct people, events, construction projects, etc., but most of what I remember are just feelings and impressions. It is interesting to be back in this place after almost five years, to see what things have changed, and how that is impacting the community.
One of the things that has really descended on this place in a fundamentally new way is American culture. I can remember being younger and laughing at the things that the Mexican kids were obsessed with, like a deep love for Michael Jackson well into the mid-90's. That time has passed, and today Agua Prieta is steeped in the culture of Puma shoes, "emo" haircuts, and yes, even someguys wearing girls' jeans. The other night I went to a carnival that, for the most part, could have been in Los Angeles.
I have travelled a fair amount in my life, although still not as much as I would like, and I am hardly surprised by the presence of American culture here. If anything, it's shocking that it has taken this long for a place this close to the United States to be so transformed. However, there is something fundamentally unsettling about how close the appearance of all these kids are to those in the mall back home.
There is a great mystery to be solved underneath the slick exterior of fashion t-shirts and hipster jeans: Where is all this money coming from?
Agua Prieta has come a long way economically in the past few years, something that I will talk about later, but it is by no means a wealthy city. The average daily salary for someone working in a factory here is $5 plus bonuses. That's an awful lot of work to buy your kids new Converse All-Stars. I'm going to leave you to contemplate how these kids are paying to look so good, but I promise to return soon with more posts on Mexican Independence, the economics of migration, and the roaming street dogs that are the bane of my existence.
One of the things that has really descended on this place in a fundamentally new way is American culture. I can remember being younger and laughing at the things that the Mexican kids were obsessed with, like a deep love for Michael Jackson well into the mid-90's. That time has passed, and today Agua Prieta is steeped in the culture of Puma shoes, "emo" haircuts, and yes, even someguys wearing girls' jeans. The other night I went to a carnival that, for the most part, could have been in Los Angeles.
I have travelled a fair amount in my life, although still not as much as I would like, and I am hardly surprised by the presence of American culture here. If anything, it's shocking that it has taken this long for a place this close to the United States to be so transformed. However, there is something fundamentally unsettling about how close the appearance of all these kids are to those in the mall back home.
There is a great mystery to be solved underneath the slick exterior of fashion t-shirts and hipster jeans: Where is all this money coming from?
Agua Prieta has come a long way economically in the past few years, something that I will talk about later, but it is by no means a wealthy city. The average daily salary for someone working in a factory here is $5 plus bonuses. That's an awful lot of work to buy your kids new Converse All-Stars. I'm going to leave you to contemplate how these kids are paying to look so good, but I promise to return soon with more posts on Mexican Independence, the economics of migration, and the roaming street dogs that are the bane of my existence.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
You're Going to Mexico? Why?
Hey folks.
Sorry about my absence. For those of you who checked and found nothing new, I have been incredibly busy the past few days and haven't had a chance to write down the few posts that have been stirring around in my brain. However, in the next few weeks you should expect posts on the economics of border crossing, global youth culture, and the ethics of work. Fun stuff.
For today I want to leave you with my recently completed job description. Many of the names and acronyms probably won't mean anything to you, but it will at least give you a better sense of what I spend my time on and a frame of reference for future posts. It's decently long, sorry about that.
Position Description
Aaron Boeke, Year-Long Intern
Revised August 2006
1. Work with US and Mexican Coordinators to organize and facilitate the Mission
Delegation Ministry, including assisting the Administrative Assistant with preparing invoices, list of meals and stays in the Community Center, and sending invoices, schedules, and list of meals and stays to the Mexican Coordinator, US Coordinator, etc.
-assisting the Administrative Assistant with making appointments for groups at the Community Center with the Community Center Administrator (currently Ramona)
-assisting the Administrative Assistant with preparing folders suitable to the groups interests, including maintaining the availability of items for folders on an ongoing basis
-serving as the liaison to the groups’ leaders during the planning process
-maintaining the spreadsheet of information for groups planning to visit
-making appointments for the Mission Education ministry visits, such as trips to the desert, visits to migrant centers and the Migrant Resource Center, visits to Just Coffee, visits to ranchers, CRREDA, etc.
-conducting some of the above visits
-leading group discussions and informing groups about the history, politics and economy of the Border
-directing group reflections on the groups’ border experiences
-Provide evaluations to with contact information to the Administrative Assistant so that she can add names to the database.
2. Participate regularly in the life of the First Presbyterian Church of Douglas, including preaching on occasion, assisting with Vacation Bible School, and other programs, projects and ministries as needed. Maintain working relationship with Pastor Carlos Montaño and members of the Session. Help Megan to plan and carry out youth group activities.
3. Participate regularly in the life of El Lirio de los Valles Church, including preaching on occasion, assisting with Vacation Bible School, and other programs, projects, and ministries as needed. Maintain working relationship with Pastor Rodolfo Navarrete, Hermana Lorena Ocampo, Rosendo Sichler (Pastor intern) and members of the Session. Work with the youth praise band in practicing new and existing songs and performing them in the church and community.
4. Maintain contact, working relationships, and exchange of information with various
organizations and individuals in Mexico, including:
-CRREDA #8 Agua Prieta (Raul Garcia)
-CRREDA #9 Naco (Raimundo Pineda)
-Café Justo (Daniel Cifuentes, Adrian Gonzalez, Vicki)
-Centro de Atención al Migrante Exodo (CAME) (Fr. Cayetano Cabrera, Fr. Ivan Bernal, Rosy Soto, Teresa Ballesteros
-Iglesia de la Sagrada Familia (Fr. Cayetano Cabrera, Rosy Soto)
-Casa de la Mujer Migrante (Juan Domínguez)
-Casa YMCA de Menores Migrantes (Ernesto Perraza)
-DIF (Juan Domínguez)
-Grupo Beta (Lic. Bertha de la Rosa)
-Migración Mexicana (Sr. Bustamante)
-Aduana Mexicana
-Consulado Mexicano (Bernardo Morales, Alex Martinez, Gabriel (¿)
-various others as hended
5. Maintain the Frontera listserve and use it to keep members updated about Frontera de Cristo initiatives including immigration reform and the Just Trade Development Center.
6. Serve on the Coordinating Committee of the Migrant Resource Center with the Mexican Coordinator and attend weekly meetings of the Coordinating Committee. Duties include:
-Working with others to produce any needed materials (we have copies of all current materials being used). Provide Volunteer Guides for new volunteers as needed for training meetings.
-Keeping copies of printed materials used in the Migrant Resource Center up to date and making sure there are adequate supplies of informational materials in the Center, including those provided by Grupo Beta, Citizens for Border Solutions, CAME, DIF, and the Consulado Mexicano in Douglas.
-Keeping a key to the Center and being available occasionally to open or close it.
-Recruiting and organizing US volunteers.
-Writing and distributing press releases
-Coordinating press conferences as needed.
-Volunteering regularly in the Center
-Assisting Tommy Bassett with conducting volunteer training meetings as needed for US (English speaking) volunteers.
-Assisting the No More Deaths representative with maintaining adequate supplies of water, food, socks, shoes, and personal items for distribution to migrants.
-Assisting the US Coordinator and No More Deaths representative with raising funds.
7. Assist the US and Mexican Coordinators with planning, preparing and doing workshops on “Immigration and the Churches Responses” and “Just Coffee and the Fair Trade Plus Model.”
8. Plan, write articles, and assist with the production of the Frontera de Cristo quarterly Newsletter.
9. Participate in Mission Education opportunities in other churches as invited, including preaching and forums on immigration reform issues.
10. Assist Tommy with the creation, implementation, and expansion of Just Trade Center Projects. Emphasis will be placed on learning the Just Trade model and how to replicate it in other areas.
11. Help to facilitate ESL classes in the Nuevo Progresso community center. Work with Hermano Angel on increasing his fluency in reading and listening comprehension.
Sorry about my absence. For those of you who checked and found nothing new, I have been incredibly busy the past few days and haven't had a chance to write down the few posts that have been stirring around in my brain. However, in the next few weeks you should expect posts on the economics of border crossing, global youth culture, and the ethics of work. Fun stuff.
For today I want to leave you with my recently completed job description. Many of the names and acronyms probably won't mean anything to you, but it will at least give you a better sense of what I spend my time on and a frame of reference for future posts. It's decently long, sorry about that.
Position Description
Aaron Boeke, Year-Long Intern
Revised August 2006
1. Work with US and Mexican Coordinators to organize and facilitate the Mission
Delegation Ministry, including assisting the Administrative Assistant with preparing invoices, list of meals and stays in the Community Center, and sending invoices, schedules, and list of meals and stays to the Mexican Coordinator, US Coordinator, etc.
-assisting the Administrative Assistant with making appointments for groups at the Community Center with the Community Center Administrator (currently Ramona)
-assisting the Administrative Assistant with preparing folders suitable to the groups interests, including maintaining the availability of items for folders on an ongoing basis
-serving as the liaison to the groups’ leaders during the planning process
-maintaining the spreadsheet of information for groups planning to visit
-making appointments for the Mission Education ministry visits, such as trips to the desert, visits to migrant centers and the Migrant Resource Center, visits to Just Coffee, visits to ranchers, CRREDA, etc.
-conducting some of the above visits
-leading group discussions and informing groups about the history, politics and economy of the Border
-directing group reflections on the groups’ border experiences
-Provide evaluations to with contact information to the Administrative Assistant so that she can add names to the database.
2. Participate regularly in the life of the First Presbyterian Church of Douglas, including preaching on occasion, assisting with Vacation Bible School, and other programs, projects and ministries as needed. Maintain working relationship with Pastor Carlos Montaño and members of the Session. Help Megan to plan and carry out youth group activities.
3. Participate regularly in the life of El Lirio de los Valles Church, including preaching on occasion, assisting with Vacation Bible School, and other programs, projects, and ministries as needed. Maintain working relationship with Pastor Rodolfo Navarrete, Hermana Lorena Ocampo, Rosendo Sichler (Pastor intern) and members of the Session. Work with the youth praise band in practicing new and existing songs and performing them in the church and community.
4. Maintain contact, working relationships, and exchange of information with various
organizations and individuals in Mexico, including:
-CRREDA #8 Agua Prieta (Raul Garcia)
-CRREDA #9 Naco (Raimundo Pineda)
-Café Justo (Daniel Cifuentes, Adrian Gonzalez, Vicki)
-Centro de Atención al Migrante Exodo (CAME) (Fr. Cayetano Cabrera, Fr. Ivan Bernal, Rosy Soto, Teresa Ballesteros
-Iglesia de la Sagrada Familia (Fr. Cayetano Cabrera, Rosy Soto)
-Casa de la Mujer Migrante (Juan Domínguez)
-Casa YMCA de Menores Migrantes (Ernesto Perraza)
-DIF (Juan Domínguez)
-Grupo Beta (Lic. Bertha de la Rosa)
-Migración Mexicana (Sr. Bustamante)
-Aduana Mexicana
-Consulado Mexicano (Bernardo Morales, Alex Martinez, Gabriel (¿)
-various others as hended
5. Maintain the Frontera listserve and use it to keep members updated about Frontera de Cristo initiatives including immigration reform and the Just Trade Development Center.
6. Serve on the Coordinating Committee of the Migrant Resource Center with the Mexican Coordinator and attend weekly meetings of the Coordinating Committee. Duties include:
-Working with others to produce any needed materials (we have copies of all current materials being used). Provide Volunteer Guides for new volunteers as needed for training meetings.
-Keeping copies of printed materials used in the Migrant Resource Center up to date and making sure there are adequate supplies of informational materials in the Center, including those provided by Grupo Beta, Citizens for Border Solutions, CAME, DIF, and the Consulado Mexicano in Douglas.
-Keeping a key to the Center and being available occasionally to open or close it.
-Recruiting and organizing US volunteers.
-Writing and distributing press releases
-Coordinating press conferences as needed.
-Volunteering regularly in the Center
-Assisting Tommy Bassett with conducting volunteer training meetings as needed for US (English speaking) volunteers.
-Assisting the No More Deaths representative with maintaining adequate supplies of water, food, socks, shoes, and personal items for distribution to migrants.
-Assisting the US Coordinator and No More Deaths representative with raising funds.
7. Assist the US and Mexican Coordinators with planning, preparing and doing workshops on “Immigration and the Churches Responses” and “Just Coffee and the Fair Trade Plus Model.”
8. Plan, write articles, and assist with the production of the Frontera de Cristo quarterly Newsletter.
9. Participate in Mission Education opportunities in other churches as invited, including preaching and forums on immigration reform issues.
10. Assist Tommy with the creation, implementation, and expansion of Just Trade Center Projects. Emphasis will be placed on learning the Just Trade model and how to replicate it in other areas.
11. Help to facilitate ESL classes in the Nuevo Progresso community center. Work with Hermano Angel on increasing his fluency in reading and listening comprehension.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Giants of the Faith
I was working on a post about my experiences at the beach this weekend, but life has changed the direction of my thoughts, and so my post will have to change as well. However, I will say that the beach was amazing and that I had a really great time. I was able to swim and body surf and generally enjoy the sun. It was amazing, with the exception of three minor incidents:
1. Friday night I flooded the engine of my friend´s van while trying to ford a river that had emerged on 38th Avenue. If you are reading this Beth, know that the absence of gutters or storm drains in this city has cemented my love for civil engineers. In addition to making me rather upset the lack of the van was especially problematic as I was supposed to drive that van to the beach and it was the only car we had.
2. Instead I ended up taking a 7 hour ride to the beach on the floor of a bus. If you are inclined for some reason to recreate this experience I reccomend finding one of those giant tool boxes that go in the back of a truck, placing yourself inside, and getting someone to roll you down a hill. Repeatedly.
3. On Saturday I found myself, quite unknowingly I assure you, on a date with a lovely young Mexican woman named Danielle. Emphasis on young. Like, 17 young. Not my fault, I promise, although it has been interesting to explain to people why I was creeped out and don´t ever want to repeat that experience.
Now onto the business at hand.
What I really wanted to write about here are the incredible people that that God has called to this seemingly insignificant town in the middle of the high desert. This morning we had staff prayer at the community center in Agua Prieta. Seated in the room were-
Mark, an ordained Presbyterian minister, co-coordiator of Frontera De Cristo, father of two, and good ol´Southern boy.
Tommy, former factory manager, coordinator of the Just Trade Center, motorcycle enthusiast, and a rather free-spirited Catholic.
Bob Carney, retired Catholic Priest, activist, and sage advisor.
Megan, my fellow intern, brilliant artist, and recent Harvard graduate.
Liz, Frontera De Cristo´s secretary, focused taskmaster, and caretaker of the rest of us.
Rick Ufford Chase, outgoing moderator of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. (yeah, he´s kind of a big deal), father, and current coordinator of the Presbyterian Peace Initiative.
Sitting in that room, singing, studying scripture, praying for one another and for a broken and beautiful world, I was struck by these people, these giants of the faith, who have heard a voice in the wilderness and responded with their lives.
I know many people I would call prophets, saints, angels, teachers, on and on. It´s a blessing of God in my life to be a part of this place with these people, and to carry with me all that I have received from those giants of the faith I have met along the way.
1. Friday night I flooded the engine of my friend´s van while trying to ford a river that had emerged on 38th Avenue. If you are reading this Beth, know that the absence of gutters or storm drains in this city has cemented my love for civil engineers. In addition to making me rather upset the lack of the van was especially problematic as I was supposed to drive that van to the beach and it was the only car we had.
2. Instead I ended up taking a 7 hour ride to the beach on the floor of a bus. If you are inclined for some reason to recreate this experience I reccomend finding one of those giant tool boxes that go in the back of a truck, placing yourself inside, and getting someone to roll you down a hill. Repeatedly.
3. On Saturday I found myself, quite unknowingly I assure you, on a date with a lovely young Mexican woman named Danielle. Emphasis on young. Like, 17 young. Not my fault, I promise, although it has been interesting to explain to people why I was creeped out and don´t ever want to repeat that experience.
Now onto the business at hand.
What I really wanted to write about here are the incredible people that that God has called to this seemingly insignificant town in the middle of the high desert. This morning we had staff prayer at the community center in Agua Prieta. Seated in the room were-
Mark, an ordained Presbyterian minister, co-coordiator of Frontera De Cristo, father of two, and good ol´Southern boy.
Tommy, former factory manager, coordinator of the Just Trade Center, motorcycle enthusiast, and a rather free-spirited Catholic.
Bob Carney, retired Catholic Priest, activist, and sage advisor.
Megan, my fellow intern, brilliant artist, and recent Harvard graduate.
Liz, Frontera De Cristo´s secretary, focused taskmaster, and caretaker of the rest of us.
Rick Ufford Chase, outgoing moderator of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. (yeah, he´s kind of a big deal), father, and current coordinator of the Presbyterian Peace Initiative.
Sitting in that room, singing, studying scripture, praying for one another and for a broken and beautiful world, I was struck by these people, these giants of the faith, who have heard a voice in the wilderness and responded with their lives.
I know many people I would call prophets, saints, angels, teachers, on and on. It´s a blessing of God in my life to be a part of this place with these people, and to carry with me all that I have received from those giants of the faith I have met along the way.
Friday, September 01, 2006
La Migra, La Migra!
It's a strange experience to live at the crossroads of two very different sets of cultures, governments, and languages. Whether Mexican, American, or something in between (actually, it's mostly in between) there are a few common experiences in the lives of everyone who calls this place home.
The first one is language. My friend Tommy says that everyone down here is learning at least one language. No matter how well you speak Spanish, you are trying to learn new words, and el otro tambien. Everyone speaks in some form of Spanglish that makes the whole place work on some semi-functional level.
Some of my favorite Spanglish phrases so far are:
Da me un ride (Give me a ride)
Pushame (Push me)
Parkear (The verb "to park")
The biggest constant for absolutely everyone is the border. Granted, the border operates in different ways if you are a white American vs. a poor Mexican vs. a Mexican-American vs. a Guatemalan, etc., etc. No matter who you are, however, the border influences how you live and changes the way you think.
Around here I commute by bike, which is no small task since about half the roads are like 4-wheeling trails, I live about 70 city blocks from my office, and no one really cares whether they run me over or not.
The other day I was on my bike visiting someone on the edge of Douglas when it occurred to me that I was only 20 city blocks away from my house. Well, 20 blocks and a big ass fence. Instead I rode the 100 or so blocks around through the port of entry so I could go home.
Traveling across the border is undoubtedly the biggest issue. When I cross into the U.S. they ask me my citizenship, which sometimes they accept as American without my ID, and sometimes not. When they ask me where I live, I tell them that I live in Aqua Prieta and have an office in Douglas. They don't really care that I live in Mexico illegally so long as I don't try to smuggle anything back in. That seems sort of odd to me really, but that's how it is.
When I cross into Mexico I tell them that I am visiting friends, even if it is my third day in a row seeing the same agent, even if it is 2 am and I am falling asleep. If I am taking something into Mexico, like furniture, or a plunger, or food (my three major trips so far) I tell them that it is a donation for the church. The basic rule with the Mexican agents is to never tell the truth ever no matter how innocuous it seems. Most of the time I just ride in and no one asks me anything at all.
I tell you this in part to help you understand some of what my life is like every day, and in part to try and explain the way the border changes you. If you want to live on the border you have to learn how to lie. Sometimes that means small lies to save time, like telling them that you are bringing ABSOLUTELY nothing across the border with you. Other times the lies are much larger, like pretending that you aren't illegally living in their country. And that's how the border operates for pretty much everyone. We tell the agents lies and they pretend to believe us. There's something about the truth that would make the whole thing cease functioning, which to me is highly indicative of a broken system.
I don't mind the lies on a daily basis, I suppose, but what is already starting to wear on me is the way in which your entire life becomes something which only sort of resembles the truth. When they ask you what you are bringing into the United States from Mexico I always tell them nothing, but the truth is that I am importing culture, I am importing language, I am importing a way of life that seeks to diminish the 20 foot fence that they have put up. That may seem like a silly or trivial thing, but for the thousands of people who cross daily it is vastly more important than whether or not they are also carrying milk.
The first one is language. My friend Tommy says that everyone down here is learning at least one language. No matter how well you speak Spanish, you are trying to learn new words, and el otro tambien. Everyone speaks in some form of Spanglish that makes the whole place work on some semi-functional level.
Some of my favorite Spanglish phrases so far are:
Da me un ride (Give me a ride)
Pushame (Push me)
Parkear (The verb "to park")
The biggest constant for absolutely everyone is the border. Granted, the border operates in different ways if you are a white American vs. a poor Mexican vs. a Mexican-American vs. a Guatemalan, etc., etc. No matter who you are, however, the border influences how you live and changes the way you think.
Around here I commute by bike, which is no small task since about half the roads are like 4-wheeling trails, I live about 70 city blocks from my office, and no one really cares whether they run me over or not.
The other day I was on my bike visiting someone on the edge of Douglas when it occurred to me that I was only 20 city blocks away from my house. Well, 20 blocks and a big ass fence. Instead I rode the 100 or so blocks around through the port of entry so I could go home.
Traveling across the border is undoubtedly the biggest issue. When I cross into the U.S. they ask me my citizenship, which sometimes they accept as American without my ID, and sometimes not. When they ask me where I live, I tell them that I live in Aqua Prieta and have an office in Douglas. They don't really care that I live in Mexico illegally so long as I don't try to smuggle anything back in. That seems sort of odd to me really, but that's how it is.
When I cross into Mexico I tell them that I am visiting friends, even if it is my third day in a row seeing the same agent, even if it is 2 am and I am falling asleep. If I am taking something into Mexico, like furniture, or a plunger, or food (my three major trips so far) I tell them that it is a donation for the church. The basic rule with the Mexican agents is to never tell the truth ever no matter how innocuous it seems. Most of the time I just ride in and no one asks me anything at all.
I tell you this in part to help you understand some of what my life is like every day, and in part to try and explain the way the border changes you. If you want to live on the border you have to learn how to lie. Sometimes that means small lies to save time, like telling them that you are bringing ABSOLUTELY nothing across the border with you. Other times the lies are much larger, like pretending that you aren't illegally living in their country. And that's how the border operates for pretty much everyone. We tell the agents lies and they pretend to believe us. There's something about the truth that would make the whole thing cease functioning, which to me is highly indicative of a broken system.
I don't mind the lies on a daily basis, I suppose, but what is already starting to wear on me is the way in which your entire life becomes something which only sort of resembles the truth. When they ask you what you are bringing into the United States from Mexico I always tell them nothing, but the truth is that I am importing culture, I am importing language, I am importing a way of life that seeks to diminish the 20 foot fence that they have put up. That may seem like a silly or trivial thing, but for the thousands of people who cross daily it is vastly more important than whether or not they are also carrying milk.
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