The Issue of Illegal Immigration of Mexicans to the United States (US) Vis-à-vis Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldua
Introduction
In contemporary times, many view borders between nations as simply political divisions on territorial definitions. In that sense, it is natural for nations to have borders defining their natural territories because of the fact that governments of each nation are entitled to know the extent to which their sovereignty lies. However, beyond the formal impressions projected by maps, globes and atlases lay very divisive controversies between borders. Historically defined, borders have become subjects of multiple disputes between governments of different nations. Ever since the concept of sovereignty grew, nations went to war against one another to fight for territorial acquisitions, particularly in continental regions where it is more difficult to define boundaries without drawing maps. Therefore, such flow of history has led to negative impressions against people of different nations, especially those who share boundaries (Anzaldua 77-98).
The same duly applies to the case of the United States (US) and Mexico. When European explorers first landed on the shores of what they dubbed the “New World”, many of them formed settlements in vast areas. Different nations in Europe – the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and France, among many others, have sent their own people to populate territories that they occupied in the New World. Yet, when territories began declaring their independence, the road to self-determination has led those to different fates. The US became a regional and, not long enough, a major power reckonable to the rest of the world, with territories spanning much of the middle of present-day North America. On the other hand, Mexico, located directly south of the US, became a laggard in political and economic affairs compared to its northern neighbor. The boundaries shared by the two nations were more political than geographical in nature, hence making illegal immigration relatively easier that in most parts of the world. The US, however, strictly curtails illegal immigration through a series of border controls that thoroughly check all vessels coming from Mexico entering into its territory. Mexicans who make it inside the US tend to stay as undocumented immigrants, given that poverty within Mexico has led them to migrate out of desperation to seek a better life, only to find out that they become more exposed to lawlessness. Those who do not make it to the borders or even those who fall into capture by authorities within US boundaries suffer the consequence of extradition and other acts deemed inhumane to their conditions. With said issue still alive to this day, the book Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldua serves as a fitting discourse to the issue of illegal immigration between the US and Mexico (Anzaldua 77-98). This study used the work of Anzaldua as an assessment of the foregoing controversy. Does Borderlands adequately reflect or highlight the kind of controversy present in the illegal immigration issue between the US and Mexico? Could Borderlands enable one to think of Utopian solutions to the US-Mexico illegal immigration problem? A thorough perusal of the Borderlands text provides key insights on the aforementioned questions. Hypothetically, the prominent theme on immigration problems between the US and Mexico makes Borderlands a worthy account to consider in providing constructive views towards the illegal immigration problem between the two nations.
The undeniably obvious progression of the US as one of the most powerful nations in the world has enabled a projection of its image as a land of opportunity for many people across the globe. Just south of the US lies Mexico – a nation that may be fairly improving in present terms but is laggard compared to the US. Mexico is plagued with problems of poverty and corruption – both being signs of substandard, if not completely poor, governance. With many people looking for a way out, many of them look up to the US as an ideal nation for them to transfer. In geographical standards alone, Mexico stands as one that has great advantage to access the US, given that the powerful nation is just located above its territory. However, not many people enjoy success in their attempts to bypass the strict border controls imposed by the US on the Mexico side of its borders. Many ended up signing extradition papers, while others have ended their lives fighting to get past the other side of the barbed wires. The same controversy has due recognition in Borderlands, where there is a specification noting that Mexicans find it hard to penetrate US boundaries, whereas the latter is free to explore and exploit the territorial advantages of Mexico. The challenge posed by Borderland lies on the premise that borders only tend to divide different kinds of people on Earth and it is more than just a politically defined territorial designation. With emphasis on Chicano culture – one that is a mixture of influences coming from both the US and Mexico, Borderlands effectively challenged the oppression imposed by the US unto its borders with Mexico. Borderlands noted that Chicanos have experienced so much oppression that most of them, especially those with undocumented ancestors, were subject to forceful ejections from US soil and back to Mexico. Chicanos, in this case, emphasize that they are a mixture of US and Mexican heritages, and thus they do not deserve to experience discrimination towards banishment to Mexico simply because the US, notably in portions near the border, has become their home for several generations. To contrast the case of the US, Borderlands highlighted the bitterness of Chicanos towards the white citizens of the US, which they regarded as having a “free pass” to go in and out of Mexico as they please. Therefore, the dominance of the US is apparent in that case, in which it appears that it entitles its citizens of privileges to enter other nations, especially Mexico, simply because it is a powerful nation. What Borderlands is trying to emphasize is that the US should not entitle itself to oppress others coming from other nations and races, particularly Mexico and the Chicanos, based on its domineering global influence. Verily, Borderlands emphasize the need to stop maltreatment of Chicanos and other mestizos through a semi-biographical account of Anzaldua, whose experience of oppression has involved several references to the US-Mexico border (Anzaldua 77-98).
The present controversy of illegal immigration concerning Mexicans in the US involves present decisions not to grant them citizenship rights and other civil and political rights, even to descendants of immigrants. While such may appear logically sound for the US to do so as a matter of defending its sovereignty, the move is nevertheless oppressive for the Chicanos, mestizos and all other immigrants – legal or not, from Mexico. Hence, what Borderlands alludes to the foregoing controversy is the fact that the US is in denial of the social and psychological effects its actions have imposed on immigrants from Mexico. The domination of the US continues in this case, in which it continues to impose its strict border controls and policies against illegal immigrants, notwithstanding their need for human rights (Anzaldua 77-98).
Utopia Inspired by Borderlands
Clearly, Borderlands is trying to emphasize the possibility that the US would remove its border-based oppression towards immigrants from Mexico. The Chicanos and other mestizos have duly established themselves within the boundaries of the US, and thus that should inspire the US to gain a greater understanding on their culture and eventually stop its oppressive actions against them. Oppression should not come as a justified action against any other people, not even if the ones doing it are those associated with a nation of considerable global influence. The possibility of making border controls less oppressive to Mexican immigrants is one thing the US should seek to work out. After all, both the US and Mexico are neighbors, and to become good neighbors to one another both should converse on possible humane solutions to crises such as problems concerning immigration. As noted in Borderlands, the Chicanos noted that the “whites” have free access to almost any nation in the world, including Mexico. What Borderlands is trying to press is the fact that the US should treat Mexico and its immigrants fairly on that matter. Through that, greater respect would prevail among people between different nations. The notion of borders in this case, therefore, would not be a divisive one that would separate people of the world – in this case, Mexican people and US citizens, for as said in Borderlands, borders should separate only the good from the bad and the friendly from the hostile (Anzaldua 77-98).
Conclusion
The issue on immigrants and border controls of the US against Mexico has yet to reach a conclusion amenable to the rights of the Chicanos, mestizos and people coming from south of the borders in contention. Anzaldua in Borderlands has consistently defended the rights of the Chicanos in stating that borders should not exist to divide people and impose oppression, and thus it fits the foregoing controversy. By emphasizing much of the cultural facets produced by the assimilation of US and Mexican heritage, Anzaldua noted that there is no need for oppression to prevail within the border areas. Rather, Anzaldua states that there must be amicable negotiations between the US, Mexico and immigrants from the latter nation on the issue of borders and illegal immigration to uphold the peace among Chicano communities and other similarly placed groups, hence leading to constructive resolutions on the present controversy.
Works Cited
Anzaldua, Gloria. Borderlands/La frontera: The new mestiza. San Francisco, CA: Aunt Lute Books, 2012. Print.
