A Wall 10 Feet High

"The Border Patrol State," a story written by Leslie Silko, brings to light the immediate problems with border controls and immigration both in the past and in modern day. In her story, she tells tales of specific injustices against her people and those of other cultural backgrounds by authoritative border patrol officers. Ironically, I found her most pressing argument in the last bit of the story, where she mentioned, "It is no use; borders haven't worked, and they won't work, not now, as the indigenous people of the Americas reassert their kinship and solidarity with one another. A mass migration is already under way; its roots are not simply economic." She goes on to say that the Americas are an Indian land, and the "Indian problem" will never go away. I agree with her argument here because of the topics that have been covered in this class over the semester. Referring back to the first session when Columbus was discussed, the Native Americans were "American" first, with diverse cultures, languages, and traditions. The border patrol officers in this story act similarly to European settlers; they are "willing to detain anyone, for no apparent reason." Not only did settlers detain people, but they tore apart vast cultures just as the border patrol officers are tearing apart the bond between the Americas and anyone from outside the country. If America is a free country, a place for opportunity to succeed, the border patrol stations contradict those ideas fully. I stand behind Silko's every argument. Immigrants are not fighting for their lives while crossing the borders of the United States to tear apart our country, destroy our lands, or hinder our economy - they are crossing the border to find opportunity, better their lives and the lives of others, and hopefully mark a footprint on the culture and history of the United States. The last we as citizens and the border patrol as protectors can do is let these Native Americans and people of other cultures have a chance to live the American Dream.

What Would I Carry?

I've never had to think about what I would carry with me had I been in a war-like situation. After reading Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," I was forced to think about the tangibles and even intangibles that I would carry in my rucksack. Of course, men in the story carried objects "varied by mission" as well as necessity, superstition, and rank. Therefore, depending on what section of the military I was placed in, I would carry the proper weaponry or defensive mechanisms like tear gas. I would wear and carry the proper uniform to protect myself from shots or danger. I would always have a canteen with me for water, and if the luxury was there, I would carry around small, flavored tea packets to mix with my water. I would carry a picture of my family, and most importantly, a picture of my hero: my grandmother. The ability to look at those pictures along the way would help me continue on with my treacherous journey. I would also carry pictures of my friends, which would help me to retain memories and laugh at past jokes. I would have to carry with me my lucky charm: my Texas State Volleyball ring, preferably hanging from a necklace. Along in my rucksack would be the necessities, like socks, a raincoat, a tent, canned foods, small bottles of soap, and most importantly, gum or some way of keeping my teeth clean.  I would carry grief for the dead, sorrow, and longing for my family with me at all times - intangibles are just as important as the tangibles are in a situation like war. But, the most important intangible I would carry with me, which I carry with me at all times, is a sense of willpower and determination. In a dark, dreary situation like war, the difference between insanity and a drive to live can be affected by a smile or a positive attitude. 

Living the American Dream - The Wrong Way

The American Dream is a patriotic ethos in which freedom includes a promise of prosperity, success, and independence. Throughout this class, particular readings have followed the message of this dream and certain characters have reached the benefits, but in my opinion, the story of Zitkala-Sa's life and education is not an ideal of the American Dream. Granted, she may have been provided an education and the means to become a "civilized" human being, but the circumstances in which she came upon those benefits is opposite of the "rags to riches" story. Zitkala-Sa was forced by Americans from her native homeland to the "Land of the Red Apples," the location of a White's Manual Labor Institute. There, she was constrained from her national identity and humiliated into assimilating to white behavior. In Native American culture, having long hair was a sign of strength and virtue. "Our mothers had taught us that only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Among our people, short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards!" Despite that Native American tradition, she was forced to cut her hair, as she lost her spirit and fell to the extreme indignities. In her school, she felt out of place and on the verge of tears constantly, fearing to venture to understand white culture. At one point, she mentioned "they took their forefingers out of their mouths and pointed at my moccasined feet...this embarrassed me, and kept me constantly on the verge of tears." Therefore, whites at the school indirectly taught Native Americans to assimilate to white culture by poking fun or staring at odd Native American clothes and traditions. Therefore, instead of starting out in the "rags" position and making her way to the American Dream, she was taken from her family, raised forcefully to be civilized, and assimilated to American language and culture in a way that disregarded her own decision making process and image for her life.

The History of Hawaii

"Nor has any people known to history shown a greater reverence and love for their Christian teachers, or filled the measure of a grateful return more overflowingly. And where else in the world's history is it written that a savage people, pagan for ages, with fixed hereditary customs and beliefs, have made equal progress in civilization and Christianity in the same space of time?"


This sentence is my favorite by far after reading "Hawaii's Story" by Queen Lili'uokalani's because it best expresses her initial reaction to U.S. Imperialism. She possesses the utmost respect for her Hawaiian people as they focus greatly on religion and education and the fact that they are grateful and determined beings, regardless of the fact that they started as "savage" natives and modernized in civilization in the same span of time as other cultures that the United States had been in connection with. Regardless of the demoralizing influences that flooded onto the Hawaiian people, they progressed to save and civilize the masses regardless of foreigners and the ruling class that was overexerting their authority.