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.