Border Policies Affecting Both Immigrants and Refugees

     I listened to "The Moving Border: Part Two, The South" on Latino USA.  This episode was first broadcast on May 27, 2020, and I listened to this podcast on September 9, 2021. The host, Maria Hinojosa, tells us about the story of a man, Josue, and his journey of refuge.  She goes in depth about how Josue is stuck between immigration policies at an immigration center in Tapachula, Mexico and ongoing conflict in his home country Honduras.  Not only did the immigration policies impact Josue's experience with the immigration/refugee system, but it turned out that Mexico "suffers from many of the same issues around safety as the places migrants are escaping from"(44:55-45:07).  So ultimately, Josue's choices are to stay with his grandma in Honduras where he is constantly targeted and beat, or to flee to a refugee center in Tapachula, Mexico that is very underfunded, understaffed, and cannot fully promise one's safety.

Refugees in line at a camp in South America.

    As far as what I liked about the topics discussed in this podcast, I gained a perspective on the lengths that people are going to in order to get a chance to be in the United States.  Though Josue's story is not an ideal experience, it has taught me to be grateful for the opportunities that I have as a United States citizen.  In terms of things I did not like about the topics, I just think it's unfair that the U.S. sometimes can't share some of the good things it has with other countries.  For example, in Josue's case, "he left Tapachula the day before [Maria Hinojosa] arrived" because some guys "had beat him up in the market" leaving him scared for his life (34:37-34:43).  When one flees to another country seeking refuge, they hope to be kept safe by refugee and immigration centers, so I think that that is something the United States should be more open to doing.  A topic that I think the radio show should cover is how immigration policies and refugee centers in South America are affecting other migrants.

    A current event that can be related to this podcast is the refugees in Afghanistan coming to the United States.  I read an article titled "Americans Prepare to Welcome Thousands of Afghan Refugees, Even as Political Rhetoric Heats Up" by Holly Bailey and Annie Gowen of The Washington Post.  To sum it up, the United States is expecting many refugees to arrive from Afghanistan as a result of the withdraw of the U.S. army and the return of the Taliban.  In preparation, the State Department "approved 34,500 Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans who assisted the U.S. military over two decades"(Bailey). However, this is sparking debates politically as both democratic and republican representatives are voicing their opinions on the matter.

Sen. Joni Ernst, in apron, and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds speak to reporters about the Hawkeye State’s refugee relocation plan Aug. 18. (David Pitt/AP)
Iowa representatives talk to reporters about refugee plan.

    This podcast has opened my eyes to more of the issues that go on outside the U.S. and things that I don't usually see every day.  The news article that I read gave me a better idea on how people from different political parties think.  I also got to see both democrats and republicans express their views about the topic of immigration.  For example, republican representative Tom Tiffany said that the White House should "abandon this dangerous, ready-fire-aimplan and mitigate risk by transporting Afghans to safe third countries for vetting before bringing thousands of unknown people into Wisconsin or other U.S. states"(Bailey).  This ties into the theme of humanity because although many people may not have had the same experience as Josue, but there are plenty of people that have had problems with seeking refuge and immigrating before.  And although it is not an experience that many people share, Josue's story causes people to feel some kind of emotion towards him, and I think that's what connects us as humans.

Works Cited

Bailey, Holly, and Annie Gowen. “Americans Prepare to Welcome Thousands of Afghan Refugees, Even as Political RHETORIC Heats Up.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 21 Aug. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/national/americans-prepare-to-welcome-thousands-of-afghan-refugees-even-as-political-rhetoric-heats-up/2021/08/20/55cbc638-012d-11ec-85f2-b871803f65e4_story.html.

Hinojosa, Maria.  "Latino USA." PRX, 27 May 2020, https://beta.prx.org/stories/353395?play=true.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abortion Policies in Texas Affecting Areas Across the Border

Image
 I listened to "Cross-Border Abortion Care" from Latino USA.  The program was hosted by Maria Hinojosa and featured co-host Jamilah King.  This segment also featured Lina-Maria Murillo, an assistant professor in Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies and History at the University of Iowa, and Veronica Martinez, a journalist covering gender and immigration.  This program aired on September 28, 2021 but I am listening to it on October 25, 2021.  While listening to this program I learned about the policies on abortion that were made in Texas as well as how Americans and Mexicans are reacting.  Some things I liked about the program were that the women in this podcast did not really hold back how they felt about the injustices that they face as a result of these laws.  They exercised their right to free speech to speak on a controversial topic.  One thing I did not like about the program was the part where they said that "Anti-abortion laws are increasingly becoming criti
Read more

Camiren's Humanities Story

Image
 2021 Books I did not do a whole lot of reading this year.  Most of the things I read were required readings from classes.  I do plan to read more books following the pandemic when it is safer to go out and check some out for the library or buy from a book store. Christenson, Allen J. Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya . University of Oklahoma, 2007. A translation and interpretation of the original story of the Maya.  Explains how people were created from maize as well as what the world was like before people.  It is both informative and exciting. Coontz, Stephanie. The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap . Basic Books, 1992.  Author Stephanie Coontz talks about the bad history of family structure that families of today's era consider the "good ol' days."  I have not finished the book, but the author does talk about how people glorify the families of the past when in reality those families were no better than those of today. Holmes, Seth. F
Read more

Reading Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies by Seth Holmes

Image
Anthropologist Seth Holmes Many people do not stop to consider the fruits and vegetables they eat every day and where they come from.  Even as someone who works around fruit for five to eight hours a day, I myself have not considered the places that our produce comes from.  And I don't think other people really think about it either.  Because of this, most people do not know of the hard labor and intense conditions that farmworkers face to get this produce to Americans all over the country.  Though people do not realize it, the fruits and vegetables that we eat every day are a result of sacrifices made by migrant farmworkers.  In his book, Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies , Anthropologist Seth Holmes goes in depth about these sacrifices and conditions that migrant farmworkers face in their daily lives.  The purpose of his book is to raise awareness for the problems that migrant farmworkers face, and to do so, Holmes puts himself in their shoes and works in fields to experience firsthand
Read more