Creative Writing: The Pacific Crest Trial

Vigilante groups are also trying to control illegals entering the United States. Vigilantes don’t really care if the walkers make it to their destination safely or if they die along their journey through the desert. “Toxic materials appear in jugs that look like drinking water. Humane Borders water stations vandalized the three-hundred gallon tanks broken open so they run dry, Small groups of Mexicans are found tied and shot in the head” (Urrea 214) which is saying that interpreters in Arizona are very honest.

La Linea is a novel about crossing borders. The protagonists literally cross the borders of Guatemala and the US. Crossing the Guatemalan border has no importance, because this border does not carry meaning for them. Only the American border is a symbol of hope, a better future, and reunion with their parents. However, during their strenuous trip through the desert, they do not even notice when they cross the border. “I always thought I’d know exactly the moment I crossed the border. [...] How could I not have felt something?” (96) Miguel is shocked because he confused the physical border with the symbolic border. The novel ends before the reader could see how Miguel and Elena deal with the cultural border they crossed. We only know that they came to the US without knowing anything about the culture. Elena returns to Mexico, probably because she was not happy in her new environment. The siblings also

This year’s election cycle brought heated debates and discussions about many things; “the wall”, free trade, NAFTA, immigration issues, borders security and policy issues. Regardless of which side of the political isle you stand, which way the political winds sway in Washington D.C., one thing is certain not to change with the election cycle, and that is, the actual physical border between The United States and Mexico. Therefore, if we can’t change that, and we can’t, then there needs to be solutions to problems that continue to exist between the two sovereign countries. Trade and Security are two of the most important factors for neighboring countries and they must not be ignored. Beyond just good political, diplomatic, and strategic vision it is important to understand there are cultural, education and diversity complexities which takes tremendous and often times delicate maneuvering to come together for the greater good of both economies and governments, as millions of people rely on successful trade agreements and security.

They slip into the San Diego rail yard furtively, preferably beneath the protective cover of darkness, jumping fences, eluding guards and dodging two hundred -ton locomotives in a perilous dash for the most elusive of prizes, a free ride to the north. According to Jose Flores, an illegal Mexican immigrant seeking work in the United States says, “To be truthful, I have no idea of precisely where this train goes, other than it takes us to el norte” (Griffin 363+). The fact that each night literally hundreds of men and women clamber over the barricade is testament to its ineffectiveness and to the irresistible pull of United States jobs “that on average pay eight times their equivalent in Mexico” (Griffin 363+ ). Javier Ortega, a 40-year-old auto body repairman from Guadalajara, says, "It doesn 't matter how many people, horses, bicycles, helicopters or planes they use…. People will go. It doesn 't matter if the fence is electric" (Griffin 363+). These people carry dreams with them in hopes for a better life. These people are willing to walk day and night through any desert and any river they come across to achieve the “American Dream.” Illegal immigration between Mexico and the United States is a serious situation that needs to be solved. To better understand this situation, one must analyze the causes and effects and come up with a solution.

As the Ice Age ended, the water melted, which made the sea level rise, and the bridge to collapse. This stopped the “immigration”

The book “Coyotes” by Ted Conover describes the lives of immigrants who cross over to from Mexico to the United States. It describes the hardships that they face along the way and it shows what it is like to be an illegal immigrant. Ted Conover is an American journalist who basically wanted to shed light on the impact of illegal immigration in both Mexico and the United States. In order to do this he travels to Mexico so that he can experience firsthand what it is like to be a Mexican crossing the border illegally. From there the book describes his journey of trying to navigate life as an illegal immigrant in the United States.

On the South Western border of the United States roughly 2000 immigrants cross the border illegally from Mexico every day. The vast majority of these immigrants are seeking financial security and a safer life in the United States however, some are coming over to traffic weapons and drugs for gangs and cartels. It is these few individuals that have caused the U.S. government to pursue a multi-billion dollar defense along the border.

To Conover’s true style whilst writing “Coyotes: A Journey Across Borders With America’s Illegal Migrants” (Conover. T. 1987) he went undercover, again for a year, to explore and understand illegal immigration, the immigrants and the mercenaries involved. At first Conover was trying to describe the sensation of crossing the border without actually putting himself at risk, and at involvement but, when that failed and it was pointed out that without ever actually crossing the border himself he would never truly understand, Conover decided that he would find a way to cross the border much the same as the illegal immigrants did, and he succeeded.

In Conclusion “Drifters” “Lucky Miles” “Last seen at 12.10AM” and “The Ivory trail” all have impacts which affect each traveler in different

Unfortunately once the immigrants get to the border of Mexico, the next obstacle addressed in the movie is the Mexico Immigrations Department. In the documentary the Immigration Department explains how Mexico has become extremely involved in the U.S immigration procedure of the

Crossing the border is a horrible experience. Unlike the 1930’s when migrant workers could carry some things, the immigrant has to carry light because at times they have to cross the Rio Grande and must be able to float (wnd). Other ways of crossing the border include riding on top of cargo trains. Crossing the border is not a safe feat neither, in certain parts up to 134 illegal immigrants die each year as they are trying to cross (National Geographic). The immigrants also have live through the animals, the heat, and the border patrol and immigration officers. As a result of increased border patrol, crossing the border has progressively become more difficult to do and has resulted in the decrease of number of immigrants. But how do the immigrants not get lost? The crossing of the border has become somewhat of a business and there are now crossing helpers known as “coyotes” that lead groups of immigrants; sometimes in these groups are young children that have their parents in the United States already (García). Coyotes charge up to $2000 and more for their services; at times they get lost and even lose people (Dougherty). The migrant workers of the 1930’s had a route to reach their destination; it was Route 66 (Steinbeck). The immigrants of the 21st century have no routes and follow landmarks such as mountains and even cactuses (National Geographic). Sometimes immigrants are not always certain of where they are in some cases and use roads to let

Hence, some of the women ingest birth control pills before they start the journey anticipating the worst like rape to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Some women who are not raped, are forced or expected to give sexual favors to the coyotes as a form of payment for the crossings (218). The illegal crossing comes as a huge financial burden to attain the dreams of living a better life. Additionally, people consistently and constantly expect and prepare for the worst-case scenarios and pray that they do not succumb to it. The migrants already recognize that they will be participating in a lengthy and struggling hike in an unknown territory. However, instead of resting, their mind will be swamped dreading the unknown. The female migrants suffer from a higher mental toll and pressure as they worry about sexual abuse or being dumped in a fresh trade business on top of everything. Therefore, the journey to cross the U.S. border is mentally draining and distressing to the travelers.

Although photographed the same year as the two previous photos, this image shows the work of the Central Pacific Railroad Company (“J. Willard Marriott Digital Library”). This image depicts a group of workers in 12-mile Canyon, also known as Palisade Canyon, Nevada. The place in this photo is roughly 435 miles away from Sacramento, California. The Chinese immigrant workers focus on curving iron rail to fit the landscape of the canyon as it twists and turns (“J. Willard Marriott Digital Library”). The line seems to be following a stream, which is seen to the right of the men in the photo. In the background, one can see the completed railroad line stretching off into the distance and disappearing into the mountains. Railroad workers such as the

US Mexico fringe divider keeps running around 1.989 miles. The fringe is ensured by different sorts of wall totaling around 700 miles. Wall incorporate vehicle wall, satisfactory for ceasing the auto yet effectively ventured over by those by walking. Others are a straightforward chain like wall, with a move of security fencing to finish everything. Be that as it may, unlawful vagrants and medication runners are now utilizing an extensive variety of innovation to convey their medications over the divider. Some novel innovation incorporates submarine, rambles and through passages. With every one of these advancements they are conveying drugs effectively. Building the divider will be expensive which cost billions of dollars and numerous years to construct a divider. All in

The Maquiladora program has also been an integral part in the rapid growth of the Mexico-U.S. border region. The U.S.-Mexico border separates four U.S. states (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas) and six Mexican states (Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas). These are all called the twin cities, although the border politically separates them they share common air sheds and drainage basins. Seventy percent of all Maquiladoras are located in the border region of Mexico. “Over 1,600 Maquiladora plants in the border area employ over 510,000 workers, about half of which are located in the two biggest Mexican border cities of Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez”. There was a 13% growth in Maquiladora employment in the border region, within the interior of Mexico it was actually 28 %. At