Bound by Absurdity

Border: the outer part or edge.

Boundary: something that indicates or fixes a limit or extent.

What is the outer part or edge of Earth? The ice wall that inhibits us from falling off the face of the planet. 
What is Earth’s boundary? The glass dome holding humanity hostage on Earth because the moon landing was filmed in the a Hollywood studio basement. 
No, these ideas are absurd, but a wall stretching across a continent to prevent the freedom of migration is okay?  Where do we draw the line? 

This led me to  the history of borders in human civilization. In ancient Greece, Delphic priests believed that the freedom of migration was one of the four freedoms that determined liberty from slavery. The United States of America is proud of being the land of the free, but not allowing citizens of Earth to migrate seems to contradict that . Does the United States have the right to bound others from entry? By not allowing liberty to individuals, we are essentially saying they are slaves to Earth. That thought disturbs me, but how far could it go? What is stopping the United States and Mexico border from becoming identical to the border of North and South Korea?

When Korea separated into two nations, North Korea put up borders to bound its citizens from migration, creating refugees, and restricted immigration into its nation. Sounds eerily familiar doesn’t it. How far away is the United States from prohibiting citizens who want to migrate somewhere else? The boundary created between North and South Korea is known as the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Both nations’ military are stationed on opposite sides of the zone armed to the teeth with weapons and explosions. Both countries don't enter the zone because they are afraid of death and war. However, there are refugees who flea North Korea, but the individuals who are caught can spend a lifetime in captivity. Children can be held for a period of time as well, but eventually are released. 

 “The division is more than a physical boundary—it limits imagination and empathy and connection,” David Guttenfelder. Journalists are able to visit both sides of Korea, and David, a photojournalist, has been there over 40 times. Had I not told you this quote was about the division between Korea, you may have thought he was describing the United States and Mexico border.

How long until the United States and Mexico set up their own DMZ? A wall would only expedite that outcome. There is no ice wall or dome that binds us to Earth restricting our freedom of migration, so why should there be one that bounds humanity from each other. In the future, humanity may settle on a new world, but in order to arrive there, we still need to settle together on Earth.

A Selfless Journey

While reading Refugee by Alan Gratz, I was very intrigued with how people helped out all three refugees in different time periods. There was Captain Gustav Schroeder who did everything in his power to ensure that the Jewish refugees arrived in a safe port. Isabel’s grandfather who sacrificed his freedom for his family. Then, there was the villagers who welcomed Mahmoud and the rest of the refugees to their town. These simple acts of selflessness were very inspiring and had me wanting to see other stories that are happening today. 

This journey led me to two separate families from Sudan. Emanuel took his wife, three children, and his recently murdered brother’s two children on a trek across Sudan to Uganda. During the same time, Peter, who is 14, witnessed his parents being murdered and grabbed his younger brothers to escape Sudan as well. Both families were scared for their lives, but they made it to Uganda and live at the Imvepi Refugee Settlement. The most powerful part of this story was how Emanuel met Peter and his brothers at the settlement and decided to raise them as his own kids. 

From there, I stumbled upon some videos that were created to raise awareness about refugees. One was a spoof on the reality TV show “So You Think You Can Dance.” 

The video was powerful because they were actual stories even though they used fictional characters. To me, it seemed like a futuristic game show which is kind of disturbing to think about, but I think that was the goal of the video. 

The next video I saw was a social experiment and it had a very powerful message. It showed people reacting to someone when they wore something offensive, but there was no reaction when they asked for help. You see this happen a lot today and it’s sad that no one has the same reaction to a “Help Refugees” sign.

I finally stumbled upon an amazing article about the company Lyft. They are working with 50 non-profit organizations across the nation to provide free credits to immigrants and refugees to make certain appointments. I thought this act by a major company was amazing. This reminded me of Captain Schroeder and all that he did for his passengers. 

I enjoyed taking this journey to learn about some of the stories happening today and how companies and individuals are bringing awareness to the refugee crisis. It’s rewarding to know people are still selfless today and it only takes one person to spread kindness like a wildfire. 

Borders

Before reading Water Knife, I had never heard the term “coyote” before unless it was referring to the animal. I knew that people held the position of human traffickers who smuggled migrants across borders, but I did not know there was a specific name for them. In Water Knife, the border between states is described just like the border between Mexico and U.S. There are paid individuals who attempt to smuggle people across and there are others who use force to keep migrants out. One thing that I found interesting was how border crossing was a business in the book and it made me wonder if the Mexico and U.S. border had a similar business today.

In Water Knife, the Vet controlled the unlawful aspects of Phoenix—gangs, prostitution, and a fee for protecting businesses. The Vet reminded me of a cartel, and he had his hands in everybody’s pockets. At one point, he had mentioned to Maria that if she did some work for him—prostitution—then, he could have got her across the border to California. The Mexican cartels are doing something similar, but they are using kids ages 12 to 17 to smuggle migrants across borders. In the article, it stated that a kid can receive $200 for every Mexican they bring across the border and up to $500 for anyone else in Central America. The article went on to say that on average an adult working in a factory in Juarez can make roughly $5 a day. You can understand why some kids would jump to that occupation even though they are dealing with a corrupt business. These kids are being paid handsomely compared to an average Mexican factory worker, but it is the cartels who reap all the benefits. 

In the video, another "coyote" discusses the payments received for human trafficking. 

As the video discussed, it is very startling but not surprising how many hands are in the honey pot. Human trafficking is a business and everyone wants a piece of the pie. The rate of transportation is what drives up the price, and if you have more people involved in getting people across borders, the payments will increase in order to pay those individuals. This left me wondering on how a solution can be made. Kids shouldn't be "coyotes", but with an increase in demand, can you really blame them? A new system needs to be put in place to allow individuals to seek refuge safely and for a less cost. I think we should expand work visas to migrants who want to work jobs in the industrial field, food and farming, and culinary. There are five categories ranked from the importance of an individual's job, but what signifies the importance of an immigrant.

If someone wants to come to America to work in agriculture, lawn care, construction, or cook at a local restaurant to provide for their family, how does that make them less important then someone becoming a doctor, lawyer, or educator. The immigrants we give work visas to who don't work the high end jobs, or have higher education are just as important if not more. Those migrants want to survive and give opportunity to their offspring. Isn't that what we all want to do? It's time to seal the pots and swat the hands because greed isn't the answer anymore. A solution needs to be made, so individuals can prosper without fear again. 

Syrian Migration

Usually when someone thinks of migration, they think of birds and the elderly and how both of them return home after the winter season. However, migration can also be defined as people moving to a new area to find work or better living conditions. This was the case for the Joad family and the rest of the farmers who were forced off their lands in The Grapes of Wrath. It's hard to put yourself in the shoes of a refugee, but coming from someone who has moved frequently, I can understand that change is like a double-edged sword. It gives you the ability to carve your own path, but others may put you down when you try to improve yourself. The Joad family faced many obstacles from the environment and local inhabitants, but they also bonded with other individuals who were in the same predicament.

Many individuals who are displaced due to climate or conflicts tend to migrate a short distance in order to find a better opportunity. Turkey has allowed the most refugees into the country for the fourth consecutive year. To me, this makes sense because it is similar to asking a neighbor for help and usually a kind neighbor steps in and lends a hand. Also, they don't have to travel too far. Traveling costs money and that was evident in The Grapes of Wrath when the Joad family saved up $1,000 to travel across country in hopes to find a job. However, just like the Joad family arriving in California, the Syrian people have faced hardships from local authorities. The Syrian refugees were promised citizenship and free healthcare, but many of them fear they made be told to leave Turkey--a country many of the refugees call home. This is similar to the Joad family who was promised jobs out west, so they migrated to a new state to find asylum in a foreign territory. Unlike the Syrian refugees in Turkey, the Joad family was not met kindly by local inhabitants.

One of the most fascinating things in The Grapes of Wrath was how other climate refugees bonded together like a family. Many times they would stop on the road and camp with other individuals who were migrating as well. I was curious as to how some Syrian refugees may bond together in similar hardships, and I found an article about a Syrian refugee who had started a business in Florida for other woman from Syria to cater Arabic food. The article went on to discuss how these women were provided jobs to help provide for their families, and they were given the opportunity to share experiences with others who were in similar situations. It kind of reminded me of the true meaning of Thanksgiving; people sharing stories, experiences, and spreading love all while cooking and eating delicious cuisine. In the future, I hope we can take that approach and unite migrants by appreciating each other and opening avenues to unite cultures.