Borders are one of the most pervasive topics in contemporary politics, and whether people are aware of it or not, borderlands history has greatly influenced the perceptions and attitudes that are held towards borders today. Rhetoric today is focused on keeping immigrants out, winning the war on drugs, and bringing the United States back to its original glory (which in fact, was not glorious, but rather put white men on a pedestal). Borderlands history reminds us that immigrants are going to cross the border, regardless of the challenges put in front of them by United States laws or border patrol. This has been exemplified throughout history by many different groups of people, such at the Métis, Comanche, slaves, and Chinese laborers. The …show more content…
Additionally, Adelman and Aron argue that borders brought about “exclusivist” feelings, further separating “us” from the “other.”
European colonialists, along with bringing disease, devastation, and an attitude of entitlement, were among the first to bring fixed, geographical borders to the United States. The myth that is prevalent within United States History states that the European settlers came to the United States and conquered the wild land that was inhabited by savages. The Europeans went on to tame the land, impose borders on it, and ultimately civilize it. However, Barr notes that “North America was a political and economic landscape already mapped and surveyed,” even though this was in a different manner than Europeans were used to. The Comanche, and other indigenous groups, continued to regard the borders they had always used, until they were no longer able to do so due to European implementation of fixed borders. The Métis were a nomadic group that resided in the northern Montana region-- the 49th parallel cut directly through their residence. The Métis were forced to choose a side of the border on which to reside, but generally ignored the border until it began to be enforced. The border became heavily militarized, because
The logos used in this book are through politics. Urrea makes clear that it’s Mexico's blame for putting people on the "devil's highway" through corruption and dense politics. But he also shows how misguided the United States policy has been. The author describes the conditions and historic events that lead to the beginning of the illegal immigration into the United States and draws a clear parallelism with our times, when there are several tasks in the United States that Americans are
The mother in “Borders” by Thomas King reveals her pride and courage for her identity as she crosses the border to visit her daughter Laetitia in Salt Lake City. Challenges like self-identity are faced every step of the way, but it a person with pride and bravery who accepts it gladly. This is best demonstrated by King and his use of conflict, repetition and literary devices.
The migration of European settlers and culture to North America is an often examined area. One aspect of this, however, is worthy of deeper analysis. The conquest of North America by Europeans and American settlers from the 16th to 19th centuries had a profound effect on the indigenous political landscape by defining a new relationship dynamic between natives and settlers, by upsetting existing native political, economic and military structures, and by establishing a paradigm where the indigenous peoples felt they had to resist the European and American incursions. The engaging and brilliant works of Andres Rensendez and Steve Inskeep, entitled respectively “A Land So Strange” and “Jacksonland”, provide excellent insights and aide to this analysis.
The American territory was sprawling across the Mississippi River and into new Native American territory. The Great Plains and far West were occupied by both Indians and Hispanics whose custom and way of live were distinct in language religion and kinship and governance. The white settlers and hunters were a threat to the resources in which they used for survival.
“The Navajo reservation begins over there”. He pointed to the east. “The Pueblo boundaries are over there”. He looked below us to the south, where the narrow trail seemed to come from. “The Texans have their ranches over there, starting with that valley, the Concho Valley. The Mexicans run some cattle over there too” (Silko 765).
Before Europeans ever ventured to North America, the land had been populated by Native American nations that had their own distinct cultures and social structures. Native Americans had trade routes and established complex relationships between tribes. They were not merely heathens waiting to be civilized by the Europeans. Yet, Europeans would use those justifications to lay claim on their land.
When the Europeans and Spaniards first “discovered” North America all was well. The Indians at first were truly intrigued with the white man as the brought all sorts of new stuff to trade. Matter a fact the first set of settlers would not been able to survive without the help of the Indians. Unfortunately, the settlers had very little respect for the land and resources. The Europeans then starting using violence to get what they wanted and as the number of settlers increased the Indians new that they were in over their heads. With all the new settlers came diseases such as small pox and measles. These diseases hurt the Indian tribes severely, and with the ignorance the settler’s wars began; the Indian Wars, the Indian Removal Act, Wounded knee, and the trail of tears are only a few of the many. The U.S. Government took it upon themselves to start relocation programs, with these programs the Indians were ripped from their homes, required to speak only the language of the settlers and robbed of their customs. The children of the tribes were taken away and sent to special schools to Americanize them and forget about their heritage. Then in the late 1800’s the government started
Throughout history the American settlers and their following descendants continuously sought land and power; because of this many other countries and peoples fell to the unyielding force. Manifest destiny pushed them to take land that was deemed to be rightfully theirs regardless of who was standing on it, who was living on it. This continued in the journey west and the encounter with the Mexican border. During the time of 1850 to 1900, those who identified as Mexicans and Mexican Americans began to face very difficult and challenging times. In the United States’ determination for land, the Mexican communities were altered in their economical, political, and social lives
Immigration is a rapid growing issue for the United States. For a long time people from other countries have been coming here to look for bigger and better things for themselves, as well as for their families. This article digs to the core of the issue, illegal immigration. Chideya wanted to know three things: 1) What is the reality behind the perceptions of Mexican Americans, 2) How do the residents of El Paso look upon the Mexicans, and 3) How do Mexican-Americans see themselves and their cousins across the border.
In the recent past, the history of frontiers has become more relevant; spatial mobility, situational identity, local contingency and the ambiguities of power among others are some of the elements of borderlands history in the new millennium. Hämäläinen & Truett propose an examination of borderlands history beyond a traditional view. They point out borderlands history should be studied from the interior of America and its connection with imperial, national, indigenous, and Western U. S. histories and transnational approaches as well.
Native Americans and the Frontier The Native Americans of today are descendents of the Mongoloid people who migrated from Asia into N. America somewhere in between 20 to 40,000 years ago. When the Europeans rediscovered N. America at the end of the 15th century, the Native Americans whom they discovered were particularly diverse in nature. They were diverse in terms of their religion, political organisation and their language. Aspects of the relationships between Colonists/Europeans and the Native Americans Co-habitation:
When people think about the word ‘border’ or ‘boundary’ they tend to only think about the physical ones. However, there are many different borders and boundaries that one can face. Theo and Kee, from Children of Men, and Melanie, from Three Miles, encounter different types of borders and barriers throughout their journeys. Theo, Kee, and Melanie face racial, economic, and mental borders. Theo and Kee are able to transcend all the borders they are faced with.
The ideas of borders, boundaries and border crossings are increasingly employed in a metaphorical sense that does not always refer to the physical border. These borders are progressively used to represent social and cultural boundaries. A cultural border indicates that a more powerful side constructs it’s own cultural knowledge and has added political power and privileges. When understanding the concept of borders, it is important to understand that borders are being referred to in a literal sense and in a figurative sense. The term literal can be referred to as taking words in their most basic sense without adding exaggeration or metaphorical meaning. The term figurative can be described to as departing from the literal use of words and adding metaphorical meaning. Figurative notions of borders within race have been a primary concern for the novels Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington and Remembering Babylon by David Malouf. This essay will discuss and analyze the concept of figurative borders and what these borders represent. Lastly, this essay will explore in detail the concept of figurative borders within the two novels. Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence and Remembering Babylon have numerous
The United States border with Mexico is one of the most interesting borders in the world. Although it is not a military front like the border between the Koreas or as militarized as the border of Russia and the Ukraine, there is a lot going on that requires attention. The southern border of the United States is different from almost all of those in the world because many of its problems are based off of the economic disparity between each country. The difference between wealth and quality of life is substantial and results in people going beyond regular means to cross the border to have a better life. There is also a large difference in the legal and law enforcement system that is exploited by Mexican cartels to make money through drug and human trafficking. The differences between these two
How much does a line on a map define us? To a marine it makes all the difference in war. It’s one country against another. To animals political lines don’t matter, as long as the land is inhabitable. Thomas King tells us in “Borders”, that some people will keep their national identity no matter the circumstances. Adewale Maja-Pearce wrote “Loyalties” to show us that it doesn’t make a difference what heritage you are, life will still be the same. These two stories explore the concept of nationality and why it is or isn’t important. In these stories, the authors use the same techniques such as dialogue, setting and tone, yet they send completely different messages.