Spaceships, "Illegals", and Guns

    Within popular culture, aliens are depicted as slimy intimidating beings: they are the epitome of what it means to be "the other". It's odd we use the terminology of "illegal alien" to describe immigrants in the U.S. "Illegal alien" is a menacing word in itself. Illegal is defined as "contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law"; while alien is defined as "belonging to a foreign country or nation". An individual entering our country unlawfully is considered "criminal law" if one synthesizes the definitions the internet provided by the terms above. I think it's important to explore the role that an "illegal" performs, the policies we vote in favor of, and the power the individuals have that enforce those laws-the patrol itself.

    As we have discussed in class, immigrant labor is wanted but the person is unwelcome. This transforms itself into a paradox. The image above portrays the U.S. as having all of the answers and resources, while Mexico has nothing except for a map to the U.S. It is as if the Americans are the victims with a multitude of resources when, all of a sudden, unwanted people scurry under the border fence. The question is: what makes this border so threatening juxtaposed to other borders? The Canadian border, isn't as patrolled as the Mexican border; and people can freely move from country to country in Europe. So what makes this border in particular so special? By calling somebody an "illegal" it has the power of stripping somebody of their humanity. They are seen as an "other". This "othering" is dangerous, for it allows violence to brew. This has been seen throughout our history: slavery in the south, the Chinese in indentured servitude, the Irish working the railroads, etc. These different groups have been attacked, violated, and discriminated against because they were cast as "others". When one isn't seen as a person, society doesn't feel the need to treat them as a human being. It's as if our society would like the dirty jobs magically done without the person who is doing the job. Yet I hear Americans constantly say, "those Mexicans are taking our jobs". In Watsonville, however, the fields are filled with Mexican individuals picking the produce that everyone else is to enjoy. They are exposed to the sun and pesticides and verbal violence that comes with a job. Mexicans are "the strangers" within our society. Within store-fronts such as Home Depot they are susceptible to the manipulation that comes with hard labor by whomever scouts them for work at their household.

     This is similar to the violence that the Chinese faced during indentured servitude. The law gave infinite power to whites, the Chinese were hardly accounted for. In society passing laws over the "illegals" and by passing stricter border patrol (cosigning guards to be more violent) the violent system will continue to flow more forcefully like a river. It is ironic that those who vote in favor of tougher border patrol enforcement are concerned for job security; for it costs tax payers more money for these detention centers, finger-print technology, the increased staff for the border, etc. Violence is written into the law and for a very specific group in mind: the Mexican immigrant.

    I also feel that it is important to take note of the lack of punishment that U.S. Border Patrol Agents face when they are guilty of perpetrating mistreatment. Of the complaints received regarding Border Patrol Agents, few are reviewed let alone resolved. The Portland Press Harold explored this topic and found that there were "...809 complaints filed in the three years from January 2009 to January 2012. But of those, only 485 had been investigated and resolved". These astounding numbers speak to where our priorities lie. It isn't necessarily with justice, but rather seclusion. These immigrants are denied the rights that we have as citizens. When they are mistreated, their case goes in a box unlikely to ever be looked upon. In fact, "...The average number of days between the date a complaint was filed and the last record date provided in the data was 389 days" http://www.pressherald.com/2014/05/07/u_s__border_patrol_agents_rarely_face_punishment__report_reveals_/. 

    By viewing human beings as others we abandon the very thing that makes us human: compassion. Instead of viewing the role we have played in Mexico's economic system, we choose to act as if they aren't humans. As if they are the villains that are inclined to slip under the border with the sole purpose of stealing jobs. This simple thinking is dangerous, for it allows individuals to justify enacting inhumane policies, and turning the other cheek when the individuals enforcing these policies act violently.