Below are the links to some of the articles and images we looked at in section on Monday, February 13th. Additionally, I included to videos - a short (35 minute) HBO documentary entitled "The Fence" (2010) and another short video on the border.
Please write at least a paragraph response to the articles, imagery, and/or videos. Make sure that within your paragraph you refer to at least one concept from lecture or the course readings, discussing how they pertain to this topic of a proposed border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Has this information taught you something new about the border, or about borders in general? What is a border? How do borders speak to nation-making, culture, and citizenship? What do borders do?
Post DUE: Monday, February 20th, by 10pm. Add your response as a comment to this thread.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/us-mexico-border-aerial-photos_us_58330554e4b030997bc053b4
http://fortune.com/2017/01/26/photo-gallery-us-mexico-border-wall-trump/
On Ignacio Evangelista's "The Line on the Map" photography project:
http://www.citylab.com/politics/2015/06/photographing-the-us-mexico-border-fence/395612/
http://www.ignacioevangelista.com/index.php?/personal/the-line-on-the-map-mex-usa-border/
Videos -
https://www.facebook.com/ajplusenglish/videos/887619274712914/https://www.facebook.com/ajplusenglish/videos/887619274712914/
"The Fence" documentary -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsfCWfMYP6o&t=195s
ReplyDeleteLooking at these images reminds me of the similar images that the professor Kaplan posted at the beginning of the class and later. Borders divide different living spaces. I do not agree that there should be a border wall between U.S and Mexico. It’s not good for the people as well as animals. Looking at different images you notice how different the lives are on each side of the wall. For instance there is a picture where there are houses, but on the other side of the border wall there is nothing, just desert. A border is: a line separating two political or geographical areas, especially countries or the edge or boundary of something, or the part near it. All borders do is divide people. They speak to culture and citizenship because they don’t let just anyone in or out, they divide families, and make people believe that one is better than the other, or that one does not belong, it cages people in.
I agree with you. I did not even think about how it could affect animals, very good point.
DeleteThe images in the articles are taken from an aerial viewpoint, similar to the ones that we have been shown in lecture. The aerial photos allow people to see an area from above, like a bird’s eye view. Mexico has always been cooperative and an ally to the U.S.. President Trump’s negative view on immigrants puts a strain on the relationship between him and the President of Mexico. If Trump’s views continue it could destroy the alliance between the U.S and Mexico. President Trump is currently trying to build a continuous wall along the border between the U.S and Mexico. This wall would physically separate the two sides. I do not agree and I think it is unnecessary to build a wall. A border is a line separating two political or geological areas. The aerial images that we were given show the border that many people have died trying to cross for the idea of having a better life or giving their children a better life. It also allows the person viewing the photos to see both sides of the border instead of just one side. Most of the photos are similar on each side of the border, but there was one area where there is a complete difference. In this photo, there are houses on one side of the border and then on the other it is nothing but desert. This shows how a border can separate people from something so close to them. Borders divide people and creates an idea one side of the border is better than the other side.
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DeleteI completely agree with you that it could ruin the alliance between the U.S and Mexico. Also, because people want the best for them or their children, they would still try to cross the border causing more lives to be at steak. There is an idea that the U.S side is a better side than the other, which by having the border makes it seem that way. People should have the freedom to cross whenever they want to with safety precautions of course.
It's really interesting how you pointed out the aerial viewpoints in the article images and how both sides of the border can be seen clearly. This makes me think about how point of view can majorly impact how one side or another is perceived. For example, an image was taken from the US side looking in the direction of the side of Mexico would be drastically different from an image taken from the side of Mexico looking towards the US. Using your example of houses and desert on each side, I really like your point about how borders can make two very close groups of people feel like they are from completely different worlds.
DeleteI also realized the importance of aerial viewpoints during the course of this assignment. It amazed me how one single viewpoint from above could emphasize the difference between two territories that are so close. And also how these aerial shots conveyed how difficult this wall would be to build.
DeleteThe in class activity we did in discussion was very shocking. Looking at the pictures and articles from “Photographing the US-Mexico Border Fence” the concept seems simple. There’s a line, a fence, a divide. Looking deeper into the information and stories that hide within the gravity of that simple fence, I came to learn the real tragedies. Since 2000, 6,000 migrants have died trying to cross the border. It’s also noticeable that some areas of the fence are stronger than others. Some areas seem easier to skip, jump, or walk across. The terrain is a very big reason for the areas of different (heavy and light) fences. The majority of images are taken from an aerial view which creates an even more obvious divide between the two areas. The concept that a simple line can separate such the same people is sad and common. There are borders everywhere. People die trying to cross a simple line, trying to change their life for what they think will be better. Personally, I understand the importance of borders and that the divide shouldn’t be taken lightly. It is sad that so many people have been hurt trying to make a change in their lives. These photos give us a chance to grieve and understand through those who have lived the reality.
ReplyDeleteI experienced the same thing. This is a simple topic until we really examine all sides of the story. These physical borders affect people in many different ways.
DeleteThese photos showed us what man-made walls look like. As we can see from the pictures, the land from either sides of the borders look the same. There was one picture where, however, where you could tell what side was the US and what side was Mexico. Even then, the land was the same and it was only the houses and buildings that made a difference. These borders create a physical barrier between one side and the other. It makes sure we know that the two lands are the different societies, even though geographically they are the same. This is similar to a lecture where the professor mentioned that if it werent for these tangible man-made differences, the land would look the same, because in reality it is the same.
ReplyDeleteI agree that physical borders show differences in places that only exist because of the physical border. Without having a man-made wall it would not be easy to tell where the two countries start and finish, therefore taking away the differences in the places that we are able to see now.
DeleteI agree. It is interesting to see how different two societies can be just because of a border
DeleteThe photos of the boarder and the current topic of increasing boarder security with construction of a wall is an obvious hot button issue at the moment. With this said I believe that a well maintained boarder is vital to national security. This is not to say that I feel that the US should shut itself off from the rest the world, but to maintain a legal and cataloged migration status of all people in and out of the country. The fact that illegal migrants can cross the boarder unchecked, what is to say that individuals who truly want to cause harm to the US can't do the same by sneaking into our country. The article we read described that the boarder caused about 6,000 deaths in the last decade or so. The blame should not be placed on the boarder. These people chose of their own free will to risk their lives to cross the broader illegally. The majority of these crossing happen with the help of Mexican cartels push them beyond their limits of survival and leaving them behind in the desert if they cannot keep up. As if that was not enough; these cartels charge insane prices that these people cannot pay. If they cannot pay they forced into indentured servitude until their debts are payed. The alternative is to legally immigrate to the US, and avoid all of this hardship.
ReplyDeletegood points
Deleteborder*
DeleteThe topic of a border between the US and Mexico has become increasingly controversial over time. According to the article by Teresa Villa, the images shown are of a border sitting on a mountain, which might not even be possible because of the physical barriers. If a border is built, it will have to be placed in a way It's important to notice how the images are taken from an aerial point of view, allowing the audience to see the borders and landscapes on a wider scale from the top. The bird's eye view helps decrease subjectivity in viewing these borders because it shows both sides of the divide rather than showing just one side. The fact that we can see both sides helps us become more informed about what a border is and what its purpose is. Through these articles, I've learned that borders do not always have to be a manmade wall or obstacle, rather the border is usually an inhospitable desert or an abandoned space.
ReplyDeleteInteresting view on borders. It takes it to a whole new level of meaning.
DeleteAfter reading all the articles and looking over the photos of the border, the discussion about borders is very controversial; borders are a lot more than just “mental constructs.” The pictures in the articles were just of nature, which in the topic of sublime “is the most powerful for emotions,” and in this case, these pictures show a harsh and “coercive” character, especially when people are not present in the picture. Most of the pictures captivate a sense of dominance the United States over the surrounding areas when a picture of the border is displayed. In fact, that is how the US-Mexican border in real life is. This should not really come as a shock to anyone, but seeing it in real life is much different that in the pictures. Especially when you are there you are surrounded by people while waiting in a four hour line to enter the US. The contrast between seeing a picture with no people around and then going to the border in person is eye opening. During my US-Mexico border experience people were walking around, selling things, or waiting in line to enter the US. Another story about the border that related to the articles in class was people attempting to ‘erase’ parts of the U.S.-Mexico border fence. This took place in Ciudad Juárez, Agua Prieta and Mexicali and people gathered to paint the border blue to create the illusion that the wall was transparent. This speaks a lot about how people feel about the border and how they are strongly against the oppression borders represent.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that by building a border, the United States is asserting their dominance over other countries which I think will cause more tension between countries.
DeleteWhen I saw all of these aerial photos of the Mexican- United States border, I could not believe how hostile and hateful some of the borders look. The fact that there are so many make-shift walls and fences on the border make me feel like the United States is very insensitive to those who live in Mexico. It makes you think whether or not the people who made those borders see themselves as more valuable than the citizens of Mexico. One of the main purposes of a border is to exclude others from an area, and the United States is very adamant now about doing whatever it takes to keep those from Mexico out. It is very selfish that those who support the strengthening of these borders seek to bring more misfortune and suffering onto people who want to come to the United States for a better life. The citizens of Mexico see the United States as a saving grace, a beacon of light that can offer their families hope, success, and safety. The idea of erecting a wall breaks my heart, because it will inhibit so many families from living better qualities of lives.
DeleteI agree with Rachelle, although i am pretty sure it's not the United States asserting their dominance. I think it's Donald Trump asserting his dominance.
DeleteI also agree with Valerie, the wall is very ugly and disrespectful to people who live in mexico. I also believe a wall is not respectful to the nature in that area as well as the many Americans who think building a wall is an expensive and stupid idea. I can't believe Donald Trump wants to keep the "bad hombres" out, i just want to get the one bad hombre out of the white house ASAP.
Looking at pictures of the US-Mexico border was extremely eye-opening. While looking at the photographs, I remembered Professor Kaplan saying that borders were mental and social constructs fueled by different perspectives and backgrounds. Like maps, borders are formed for purely political reasons in order to assert dominance over other countries, especially the highly controversial idea of building the wall along the US-Mexico border. The photographs point out that the land on both sides of the border are geographically the same, but the border makes a distinct statement that the two sides are somehow different, which creates a sense of division, and develops a sense of national pride, and the differences between cultures. A few weeks ago, I was watching a video shared on Facebook about different borders around the world, and the video showed rivers, streams, mountains, and valleys serving as country borders. The aerial views and photographs of them looked peaceful, picturesque, and natural, which really contrasted with the United States and Mexico border, that looks man-made and rather depressing. I cannot even begin to imagine a wall along the border, and the sense of division and hostility it would create.
ReplyDeleteI feel very passionate about the border issue, and believe that maintaining firm control over all US border's should be a priority in this nation. I do not understand how people can look at images of the border fence, and feel overcome with frustrations of its existence. The fence (and soon to be wall)is there to ensure the protection and safety of the nation. People who enter this nation should be subject to thorough background checks, and allowing anyone to cross into the US illegally potentially puts American lives at risk. Kate Steinle was murdered in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant who had returned to the US after being deported 5 times. It is too easy for criminals like him to enter this nation. The United States Border Patrol is responsible for preventing illegal crossing into the US, and I think it's obvious they support builder a more secure border, as is evident by their endorsing of President Trump (the main proponent of a new border wall).
ReplyDeleteI loved what you did here with your response, very well put together.
DeleteAfter looking at the pictures of the wall it looks to me that having a wall that stretches across the majority of the border is extreme. A physical wall makes it visible and clear where the two countries borders are, and as a result trying to show differences between the two places. Not having a man-made wall would make it look like the US is more open to immigrants. When you look at some borders in Europe it is almost natural for people to cross borders multiple times a year, and having a wall in those countries would make it very difficult to move around. Why should it be any different here.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the border will divide the nations and affect the amount of immigration but it will also stop immigrants from illegally crossing the border. European countries are much smaller and closer together which makes it easier to cross between the countries. Having a wall will definitely divide the nations but we all still be able to cross the border.
DeleteBased off of what has been discussed in lecture, since many of the images viewed in class of the U.S. and Mexico were aerial views, it helps to give us a better understanding of the border and division of the U.S. and Mexico as a whole. The images show that there is an actual fence dividing the two countries which shows where the border is, unlike state borders within the U.S. that do not have physical barriers built to show where the border is. However, in many of the images, if you look at both sides of the fence, there is little to no difference between the actual land and it is difficult to tell which side is the U.S. and which is Mexico based solely on the natural land. In addition, without the actual physical border, it would be difficult to locate where the border is in many areas. However, in other images, there is a clear division between the U.S. and Mexico through man made structures, seeing as there is an obvious difference between the suburban area side and the rural side. While a border is a line that separates countries and contributes to culture and nation-making, my group and I discussed how creating an artificial, physical border between two countries can cause more tension between the two countries.
ReplyDeleteIgnacio Evangelista was driven by a purpose when he started upon his photography project. He wanted to show the world what he was seeing through his eyes. And he did this through pictures. Each picture he took told a story. A picture must be taken with much thought and planning being put into it, such as a story teller delivers the story to his audience in a certain way. He thinks about how he will go about telling the story, and the he delivers it. Evangelista does the same here, carefully setting up the angles of his pictures so that he doesn't miss any important details that will speak to the people as they look at his work. In each photo you can feel the division this wall creates, you can see the poverty and sadness of this situation in just looking at the wall itself and how pathetic it looks. There is much controversy to this topic. But I feel that whatever side you may be on, there is no denying that you can feel the presence of something great in each of these photos. Whether it be positive or negative, there is definitely something there.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of the border really tell a story. It is like the phrase, "A picture says a millions words". These borders define the division between two cultures. Though their geology is exactly the same, it is visually different because the U.S. has way more better facilities and structures. Mexico is dwelling in poverty while the U.S. dwells in its luxuries. In some photos of the border, it is just fenced with black railings, which gives me a feel of, "I really want to be in that side". This fence is like torture, mocking what people cannot have, yet people on the other side see Mexico's poverty and do nothing about it. These photos convey true division upon two countries, even though we all live in one continent.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the border is like torture, it is almost like a tease. All these things are on the other side, it's so close, yet they can't have it.
DeleteThe pictures we looked at in discussion were very eye opening. The fence doesn't seem like a way to keep people out; more so a way to show where the countries' land comes to an end. It was even more shocking to see a picture of a fence going into water as if to show a border not only of land but of water. Trump wants to make this border less of a sign of different territories and more of a tool to keep people on their respective sides of the wall. While there admittedly are benefits for building a wall, the cons definitely outweigh the pros. The pictures highlight the current peaceful landscape around the border which will no longer exist if the wall is built.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked as well when I saw the fence not only on land but also in the water. The idea of something as natural as the open water being divided by a wall is absurd. It will affect more than just people but also animals.
DeleteThis article reminds me a lot of my own map because the purpose of the aerial images are to prove a point. As the title says, the point of these images is to show that building a wall would be difficult to do. Something that was very smart of the photographer to decide to use aerial images to depict it. By using aerial images, the viewers are able to see that the mountains could be a problem for building a wall. If the photographer tried to depict this using ground view, we might not be able to see that mountains cause a problem. This reminds me of my map because a body of water separates two different communities. Both my map and this article use the earths landscape to prove a point.
ReplyDeleteI agree the images in the article are used to prove the point that building a wall will be extremely difficult. And his choice of using aerial images furthered his argument.
DeleteWhen looking at the pictures of the physical parts of the Mexico-U.S. border, I noticed that there was a comparison between these small areas where there were actually physical borders to expansive parts of land where there were no borders at all. Most parts of the border are imaginary and this is the case for most borders, however parts of this border are actually tangible. The actual usefulness of the border is not actually to keep people out, as there are many areas with no physical borders. This calls into question the political relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, and with the recent election there is more and more political tension between the two countries. There was one picture of the border going into the ocean and this particular area of the border had tall bars as the physical border, which is extremely representative of a prison. This is a powerful image; especially with the wall being a barrier between many families who have family members in the U.S. and Mexico.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting to see how the fences interrupted continuous strips of land. They didn't seem like they were serving any real purpose, and looked so out of place. On a map, it is so easy to see borders because it's a two dimensional medium. The lines are drawn on and clear to see, with no details of the geography of the land available to the viewer. You would almost think the actual land to have a large black line drawn over it, and view two completely distinct and different sides. Once you see an actual image of the place, the border seems unnatural. The land seems like it's supposed to be whole, not split up by some measly fence, let alone a wall.
ReplyDeleteI find it odd how the fence between the U.S. and Mexico was only a "band-aid" solution to the problem considering that more than $3 billion dollars have been spent on the creation of the wall and yet it was planned out and constructed so poorly. There are many gaps within the wall that have not been finished and it seems that the government had no intention of patching them up until recently. Also, the wall doesn't even follow the actual border between the U.S. and Mexico, instead being built further north so that it would be easier to build but creating a "no man's land" in between the barrier and Mexico. While it is understandable that the wall was built further north considering that the terrain of the actual border would be very poor for construction as outlined in the aerial photographs in the Huffington Post article, it makes me wonder why they still went though with the construction of a physical border after seeing the terrain. Most map borders are just political representations as we discussed in the beginning of the class but the U.S. seems set on turning the border into a physical one, no matter the cost.
ReplyDeleteThe images of the US-Mexico border that we looked through in section showed many different parts of the land that connects the US and Mexico together and how there are physical divisions made for it. There were photographs of the fence that divided the land up even if it was in the middle of someone’s home or town and it just seemed very out of place in some of the settings. It almost seems like a contradiction when there are people’s nice and welcoming homes all around and then the scary and imposing fence that defines a barrier that holds a lot of controversy. The other photos of the fence by “Citylab” cause a similar effect with the different states of the fence and how it can look run down and trashy and other parts can look like prison bars and taunt those on either side. It is cruel to divide people in such a way, as if either side has done something wrong and needs to be closed off, which would be worsened if there was a border wall put up instead of a fence. These two nations have no need to punish or hate the other; we are neighbors sharing the same land which should connect us even more. A border is an imaginary social construct that does nothing but bring a separatism to people of the same space, even when none of the environment follows the code of a border. But since the wall is only a physical manifestation of something to cause division, it can be fought against, to remind people that nationality can not truly divide us. This is shown quite well by the aerial photographs of the border that are very similar to the ones we learned about during lecture that showed Europe during WWI. The landscape that is shown in those images does not portray a definite line of where Mexico is and where the US is; it is just land with similar characteristics that happens to be home to separate nationalities that govern differently.
ReplyDeleteThe border between Mexico and the U.S is more of a symbol than a physical border. In reality, the land has no borders because without people and social constructs, it is just land. People hold this power of division and inflict the cruel meaning behind the border. They are the ones who enforce such cruelty and tamper with humanity. It's ironic how that if there were fewer people on the land, there essentially would be more humanity. In Bliss's article, I looked at an image of the border on a beach, eventually dissipating as it extends into the shore. With water from one side overlapping with water on the other, the land knows no boundaries. It's almost ridiculous how even as strongly people want to set up divisions, the land can never truly be divided. When looking at Evangelista's images, I also thought about what we learned in lecture about images being politically enforced. The Mexican border can be shown to be endless, with countless viewpoints of images to tell its story. As more of these images get reproduced, they gain more authority and people will soon place a construct on it. The border does nothing to physically block anyone out. It's a symbol of division and that's all.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comments wholly, I think that it is just a huge nonsensical argument to build a wall. The wall, as you said, is simply a symbol of division and nothing much more.
DeleteAfter looking at the pictures included in the articles, my group and I thought it was unreasonable to think that building a wall between the United States and Mexico is a good idea. The pictures show a very diverse terrain along the US/Mexico border. We think that adding a wall is just a reason for spurring negative relations between the countries, because most of the area along the border is already pretty isolated, and this wall would be more of a political statement than any actual "protection" to America. As Pablo Lopez Luz says in Teresa Villa's article, most of the territory in between the two nations can't even be crossed! Even the topographical issues that are involved in building a wall are extremely complex, and would cost the United States millions of dollars. The terrain running along the border is not at all similar to the grid system, or other planned terrains we have talked about iin class, it is treacherous in some areas, and putting in the effort to build a wall along the whle border is a huge waste of time and money and good relationships on the United States' behalf.
ReplyDeleteLooking at these images of the border really reminded me of the short film we watched about trench warfare in World War I. The zig-zag swirling patterns of roads and trails reinforced the idea of how difficult it would be to build a wall and obtain resources. My group and I came to the consensus that the purpose of this article was to show people (mostly who live far away from the border or who have never crossed it themselves) how difficult it is to cross, even without a wall. Donald Trump, since the beginning of his presidential campaign used fear mongering diction to enforce the idea that a wall would save our country from death and destruction into our heads. This article shows how natural patterns can divide a country, and how one side of the border isn't that different than the other.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Meghan. While looking at the images, I had the same mindset. Since the images were borders of Mexico, I thought of the wall Trump has been talking about. Borders do have the effect of creating fear into those who want to potentially "cross" that border. Thinking about the effects Trump's Wall has on the country is very surprising. This wall has the nation divided (most favoring not having the wall) on what they feel about the wall to the point where when an individual says they're in favor of it, those who are against it respond very negatively.
DeleteWhen I think of the wall that is supposedly going to span the whole United States and Mexico border I am confused about its purpose. In the Huffington Post article Pablo Lopez Luz took aerial photographs of the landscape that separates the United States and Mexico and it astonished me. Lopez Luz said he could've used a drone to take these pictures, but instead he took them himself on a plane in order to fully grasp this drawn out landscape and his choice really affects the view for the reader. His photographs show vast desert hills the stretch for miles. These hills would be almost impossible to cross yet they plan to build a wall across this stretch of land for no reason. These photographs just reinforce my idea that a wall is the last thing we need to be spending our money on. I also read the second article from fortune’s website and saw the wall that already seperated Mexico and the United States. By what I can see this wall is composed of miles of vertical beams that keep people from going through the wall. The wall stretches miles through vast amounts of different climates that include large bodies of water and desserts. Both articles have shown me a new light when It comes to the hardship that will come if we build a wall between Mexico and the United States of America.
ReplyDeleteA border is defined as a boundary line that divides political and geographical areas such as countries. The experience I have with crossing a border is from city to city. For example, whenever I am driving from my house (in Santa Clara) to my friend’s house (in Cupertino), I always see the sign that says “Welcome to Cupertino” and another sign that has the population size of Cupertino. The first thing that I noticed about the images of the United States / Mexico border was that there were not any people present in the photographs. I believe that the photographer did this to prove to the audience that the recent president elect’s idea to build a wall has no purpose. The photographs show that border as miles of dry land which make it difficult for people access. I also noticed in the photographs that there already exists a physical road border between the two countries. Seeing the pictures and hearing about the issues regarding the wall got made me interested in finding out about which other countries utilize physical, man-made borders and their purposes. The most popular example I found was the Great Wall of China which was built in the 14th century in order to protect Northern China from attack. Other countries utilized similar physical borders to prevent human attack. What I found most interesting from my research was the barrier that Australia constructed in order to keep Dingoes from attacking.
ReplyDeleteOne of the readings from a few weeks ago talked about how people wanted maps and aerial views of the towns they lived in to be able to really see where they lived and what was around them, as well as to take pride in their city. I think this is interesting because when I looked at the photos in discussion of the US-Mexico border, I felt like I had never seen that before. I was really surprised that I couldn't even recognize the border of my own country. I had no idea it went through people's backyards or through hills and mountains. I know I'm not the only person that wouldn't be able to recognize where they live. It is really different now compared to older times when people really wanted to know what their home looked like from above. How can people want to build a wall somewhere that they might not even know what it looks like? I think it is really important for people to understand what the border looks like because it is the edge of the place they live in. Once this happens, then people can decide if they think it is appropriate to build a wall. Also, the article said people took pride in the maps and aerial photos of their cities. Will Americans take pride in pictures of the US-Mexico border when there is an actual wall separating them? Do they even take pride in what the border looks like now? Everything is so different than how it used to be.
ReplyDeleteEvery discussion about the US-Mexico border requires me to enter with gritted teeth because most of them are taken over my xenophobic white people with little to no understanding of the world besides how to get to the closest Taco Bell. Folks in this class aren't immune to this, I mean read the other blog posts, there are people who legitimately think a wall will change something and that it could actually be a good thing. They're next to us in class, they're eating next to us in the D.C., and they're living in our dorms, in our rooms. But of course they won't voice their opinions in class or in public because even they know that their racist, xenophobic opinions aren't welcome. Given a faceless, online platform and they'll be very open about how they feel.
ReplyDeleteClearly put, building a wall is wrong. Not only is it blatantly too expensive and difficult due to terrain, material, and labor all of which will be taken from tax payers (white folks, that doesn't just include you- surprise!), it is a physical realization of a social construct. No border exists naturally. What does exist are streams or mountains which we point to and call border or perhaps the border runs through a field and isn't a natural physical barrier. Trump's idea that a wall will protect the US's borders and therefore its national security is ridiculous in that our national security is most threatened by cishet white men. This is clear when you look at most recent terror attacks on US soil and when you remember that the KKK, an organization founded on anti-blackness and blatant white supremacy, still exists and endorsed Trump, in case you forgot that part. Building a wall will not do anything but waste money and express our country's institutionalized racism. The photographs and articles we analyzed in class are just evidence of this. The terrain is challenging and thus makes building a wall more expensive and from the air the border is nothing more than a scar in the landscape- a landscape that does not change when crossing the border. The only difference you could find is that there are houses on one side and nothing on the other. Building a wall separates people and animals from the environment and it also would literally cut through people's homes in some places. Yes, the US-Mexico border actually has homes built on it, please do some research. Then imagine not being able to go to the kitchen because Trump's wall runs through your house.
In terms of the wall being a social construct, it is important to realize that other countries don't have walls or fences separating their land. I drove from France, through Switzerland, to Italy, crossing two borders in the process and one just included a checkpoint and the other didn't even exist. We just drove on the freeway and suddenly we were in a different country. It was like driving to Reno on a weekend and not like trying to return to the US from Mexico. Trump and white nationalism directly otherizes and demonizes immigrants and people of color so that a power structure can be maintained. In summation, the pictures we looked at were infuriating but the response from fellow classmates was nothing short of disappointing.
Borders have many purposes; they can separate culture and territories by simply having a symbolic wall at a particular location. While looking through the different images, I noticed that often times a border doesn’t seem like it exists if no one is around. This symbolic wall can only have a meaning if it’s separating two things from each other; otherwise, it’s just fencing. This is called paradoxical effect. Borders are also created because they’re extensions of the line on the map. I noticed that borders won’t usually reach the ocean; however, in one of the pictures, I saw that the border was extended to the shoreline. I thought this was interesting because it related to the paradoxical effect. While looking at the picture, the beach seemed completely empty as if no one has been there in a long time. Borders also are created near homes, even in the backyards of some individuals. I thought this had a drastic effect on people because borders can bring back many memories for those who were forced to cross. I can relate to this personally because my parents had to cross the border in South East Asian when fleeing the country. It signifies something they’d like to get rid of, but can’t.
ReplyDeleteBorders are very powerful in today's society. Not only do borders separate certain territories and the people that live in them, but they have the ability to create citizenship, forge cultures and in some cases create serious problems between different countries or states. Evangelista's powerful photographs show how borders are clearly not just physical structures or lines on a map, but that they have the true capability to create strong separation between territories. Borders separate territories geographically, politically, economically and culturally, showing why they are such a controversial topic in today's modern society.
ReplyDeleteThe recent proposal by President Trump to build a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico is one controversial topic that is very applicable to the material we cover in class. The importance of aerial views that was highlighted during lecture was emphasized in the photographs of the territory where Trump strives to build this wall. These aerial views show the brutal terrain that this wall would have to be built on, expressing how expensive it would be and how long it would take to complete. Given the time and money this would take, it made me doubt whether or not this wall is worth building. Relations between Mexico and the United States aren't volatile currently, and the construction of this iconic wall may just destroy any current and future relationships with our neighboring country. There are many more rational solutions to the problem that President Trump seeks to solve, and building a towering wall that just simply separates us with Mexico even more is not one of them. It is evident in Evangelsita's photos that the Mexican society beyond the wall is already in poverty. Poverty that we, as an ally of Mexico, shouldn't be making worse by putting up a wall that runs right through the backyards of already struggling individuals. In addition, I think it is our duty as a country to utilize our money wisely. We currently have much bigger problems overseas that we could be using our money towards solving, not wasting it on separating ourselves from a country that we are already clearly separated from.
It is really crazy to look at the pictures of these borders and see how they are basically no differences between either sides of the borders. We talked about in lecture one day, how borders are just basically imaginary constructs designed by people. However, the differences between the two sides are gigantic. First off, living in Mexico on average means you are much poorer as well as having to follow different laws and regulations. Borders pretty much separate these two countries ways off life and how they are very different from each other. The difference in culture between the two sides would be quite different and just overall the way of life would be quite a drastic change between the two sides.
ReplyDeleteTo kind of bounce off of your idea, I really feel that the physical wall amplifies this divide in culture. I don't think this drastic of a difference in culture would exist if there wasn't a physical boundary.
DeleteI kind of felt the same way in a sense. I looked at the two sides of the aerial pictures and was expecting this grandiose, noticeable difference. The big difference you see on television and they describe on the news. I didn't think it was anything like that. I think the border separates the differences of a culture like you said, however I don't think we're that different when it comes down to fundamental values. I personally wouldn't call our differences gigantic, but I would say that we do definitely have differences.
DeleteI felt that looking at actual photographs of the land that is divided by political borders was a unique way to see it. It's really different to see drawn out borders on maps than to see the actual borders in real life. In truth, the photographs taken by Pablo López Luz show how fabricated and almost absurd our man-made borders are. This on its own could be enough, but it is made even more important by the current President's plan to build a wall on this border. The photographs show how the constructed borders may divide a place politically (splitting it in between 2 countries) but that land will never be truly divided. I especially felt this when I saw the picture of the fence that went right into the ocean. While we are very conscious of North America being divided into 3 separate countries, we don't often think of the actual borders where the countries meet.
ReplyDeleteI am from Canada, and when I am there I feel like I'm in a different country. However, some of my family is from a part of Canada that is so much in the South, it's about 11 miles from Vermont. This area is extremely rural and full of mountains and forests. When I visit my family that lives there we go on hikes and there's a point where the mountains in the distance are part of Vermont. These mountains look exactly the same as the ones in Quebec, because obviously nature has no divide like the man-made ones we have constructed. Looking at the pictures of the US-Mexico border reminded me of the area where Canada and the US meet (in this case it's Quebec and Vermont), and how unnatural it feels to think that the land has some sort of separation and barrier. It makes me sad that people can feel such a cultural divide because of a "barrier" such as those that separate countries, even though we all share the same land.
When I look at the pictures of the Mexican-American border, I am reminded of how arbitrary it all really is. Burdette's article shows us the images of the various walls that have been built and how redundant this proposed wall is. This reminds me of lecture in the way when the professor told us that maps are subjective. This is a glaring reminder of how powerful that is. To live in the land of the free but then to not only prohibit the movement of people, but to encase us into a fence, is the just the opposite of freedom. I understand the purpose of political purpose of borders however looking at the arial pictures in Villa's article, another concept we've discussed in lecture, it seems so much more subjective. A subjective concept that has torn apart families and has created division when it's not really necessary, it's just a man-made concept that we've given all that power to do so.
ReplyDeleteI like your insights and agree with you. Politically, we do not have much power individually. I like how you took this as a learning lesson on how the wall affects us but also how subjective it is. This wall may stop people from physically coming to the USA, but it won't stop me from helping my loved ones attain citizenship to come back to home.
DeleteThe articles about the border really made me realize what a horrible thing it is. The fact that we are one of the only (if not the only) country to have a physical border is upsetting because of what it represents. Generally the concept of borders are supposed to represent political divides - this section of land is controlled by our government, that section of land is controlled by your government. The physical border represents much more than that - it represents a cultural and racial divide as well.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I think the border really ties into the current state of affairs. There have been many racist remarks to come out of the Trump administration, which further solidifies the physical wall as a racial divide. This is somewhat irrelevant to the above, but the scale of the wall really puts into perspective how ridiculous Trump's plans for an expanded wall are. There was a recent estimation at the cost of building such a wall, and for something so demeaning and hateful, there is no way anyone should stand for paying for it.
I agree with you. Its very disheartening to see that this wall is being made to symbolize american greatness and the inferiority of another country and its citizens. To an extent, the border discourages kindness and hospitality to our neighboring country and that seems like such an anti-american ideal to me since America was founded upon immigration and the melding of cultures.
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ReplyDeleteThe images shown in the article, the boarder between United States and Mexico were taken from several different viewpoint. This reminded me of the Niagara Falls which was shown in the lecture slides that functions as a boarder. This made me think how the boarder of Canada and America is mostly natural such as five lakes and Niagara Falls whereas boarders between Mexico and the U.S. are artificially made walls between two nations. It was interesting how America pursues equality over race but tries to enforce the concept of segregation by physically separating people by the walls. Therefore it seems like by creating boarder which is not natural may tend to lead one to think that it is a normal way to assume people on the other side of the wall as "outsider" and segregate them.
I think many people around the world are accustomed to the idea of a boarder because they are so prevalent in our life today as boarders they are what separate cultures, laws, and communities on a map. Between states, however, there is no physical boarder which is what I believe makes these photographs so eye-opening.
ReplyDeleteI always pictured the Mexican boarder to be surrounded by homeland and other government employees with weapons and technology, but the reality is that most of the wall is just that; a wall. And a almost beautiful wall as well. Between all the news about human trafficking, drugs, and smuggling throughout the boarder, this is a very new perspective.
When I saw all of these aerial photos of the Mexican- United States border, I could not believe how hostile and hateful some of the borders look. The fact that there are so many make-shift walls and fences on the border make me feel like the United States is very insensitive to those who live in Mexico. It makes you think whether or not the people who made those borders see themselves as more valuable than the citizens of Mexico. One of the main purposes of a border is to exclude others from an area, and the United States is very adamant now about doing whatever it takes to keep those from Mexico out. It is very selfish that those who support the strengthening of these borders seek to bring more misfortune and suffering onto people who want to come to the United States for a better life. The citizens of Mexico see the United States as a saving grace, a beacon of light that can offer their families hope, success, and safety. The idea of erecting a wall breaks my heart, because it will inhibit so many families from living better qualities of lives.
ReplyDelete*I didn't mean to put this as a reply for the post that it is on, it was meant to be its own comment*
The U.S. Mexican border has been presented in two different perspectives which has divided society for several decades. In the perspective of a person who has been suffering and surviving day by day through the lack of a humane environment; this person comes to the land of America to seek hope and opportunity. These people risk their lives and dedicate themselves to not only seek the chance of opportunity for them, but for their families and generations to come. Crossing the border has been seen as a milestone for several people to cross to reach the chance of prosperity and chance. Personally, as a Mexican-American, I have witnessed and participated in the transition and have seen the utter most benefits. I am thankful my parents took the risk and we were able to give themselves a better life; to raise a family, and allow me, along side my brothers and sisters to attend school, have a roof on our head, and enjoy a hot meal every now and then. This perspective, versus the other perspective of only seeing the wall as a division and barrier between the “civilized” people from the “savage & uncivilized” people has created a social hierarchy, where people north of this border see themselves as greater, and better civilized people. Instead of coming in coherence and peace, accepting that we were all brothers and sisters seeking a better life, we divide, and discriminate those who migrate from south of the border who look for hope. Now with this wall coming, its only emphasizing the division and segregation between us as people. The fact that there are so many supporters for this wall frightens and disturbs me, how can people be so ignorant and stubborn to accept people who do not act or look like them. Through the pictures of the landscape of the border, it is visible that the journey for someone to cross the border into a better opportunity is as hard as it is, there is no need to waste so much money and labor on a structure that only emphasizes division.
ReplyDeleteAs we have talked about in lecture before, a border is an imaginary construct designed by mankind which can create comparison between things. However, when looking at these images of the Mexican American border, I saw just land. Obviously, there is a deeper meaning to each side and its living conditions but I believe it would be completely unreasonable to place a wall along the lines of open water, habitats, and even Native reservations. Also the fact that the pictures are shown without people in them just shows the paradox and humanity of the places. It gives real and visible dimension to what the border represents.
ReplyDeleteSomething about a wall just doesn’t seem right to me. In the documentary, The Fence, I like how the ex marine compared the southern border wall to the Berlin wall, and how everybody in the world cheered when that was torn down. The US does not have, need, or even want a wall bordering Canada. I think it’s sad that we work on creating more barriers between us and our southern neighbors instead of working towards strengthening our connections to them.
ReplyDeleteThe wall costs countless taxpayer dollars, has had a negative impact on the environment, and continues causing many immigrant deaths. It doesn’t even serve it’s primary purpose well. There are probably better ways to secure the border with drones, wireless fences, etc. Fences are very old fashioned, big, and expensive. I personally think this one is very ugly.
In The Beholding Eye they discuss how landscape can be aesthetic. Nature untouched by man, in its pristine condition, is almost unheard of. Although I am not religious, there is a sort of cosmic beauty in nature by itself. Each time a forest is cleared and a building is put up, the forest is transformed from it’s natural state to a scene forever marred by human touch. Even when we try to restore a landscape there is still something artificial about it. I think building a giant wall is a lot like painting a giant black line through the middle of a beautiful painting.
Borders have been talked about very often. We talked about them during the first days of class and during discussion. Aerial photography makes it easier for us to be able to see such borders. Looking at the articles and reading them, and looking at the pictures, I can't help but agree with the idea that building a wall will be very difficult. I always knew there was a border dividing Mexico and the United States, and I also knew that the border could be crossed one way or another, so I'm almost sure a wall will be able to be crossed as well. I'm having a little trouble grasping the whole "wall" idea. I feel like the wall will be more of a symbol of the division between Mexico and the U.S than a real barrier. Since borders are man-made barriers that divide both nature and culture, they prevent the flow of ideas to different places of the world and they give race a greater importance than it should have. Aerial photography allows us to see how building a wall will be very difficult, but history can also help us understand how inconvenient this wall will be for many people.
ReplyDeleteThis topic about the US-Mexican border fence really shows the complex cultural aspect that the fence represents. As shown in the film, many Americans don't really know or care where they are in relation to the border, like in the proclaimed "no man land" that's claimed by neither the US nor Mexico. However, the American government nonetheless built the fence as a physical representation of the border, as if transforming the landscape into a physical map. On maps, borders distinguish one area from another and gives a mapmaker's proposal of which land they believe to be a city, state, or country. From this idea, the fence acts as what the US government declares to be the area of Mexico and the area of the US. Despite the complex landscapes and vast deserts surrounding the border as represented in maps, the Federal government decided to make a permanent border and basically declare the fence as true and correct. Therefore, borders should be allowed to change and be adjusted according to different mapmakers, because they merely represent cultural and nationalistic identities. By building a fence and declaring it as the one correct border, the government forces everyone to accept certain areas as either Mexico or the US, thereby making the lives of citizens living near the fence more difficult.
ReplyDeleteAfter looking at the images of the current border fence and how it currently affects both nations involved, I was concerned with the amount of damage our nation does to Mexican immigrants and the environment. I remember during class earlier in the quarter we talked about different ways of seeing landscape. One of the ways of seeing the environment, if I remember correctly, concerned landscape as something to be dominated. In an extreme way, I think that's the mindset the United States has been building up for quite some time. The United States prides itself on territory and its ability to enforce their territorial claims. That's one of the reasons the U.S. spends so much money on its military. Unfortunately, the U.S. enforces its territorial claims often without regards for environment or even foreign human life. I knew the current border system was flawed, but after looking through all the resources, especially the HBO documentary, I was taken aback by the amount of immigrant deaths in border territory. Not only that, but the fence cuts through the environment in an unnatural way. Animals have ranges in which they move through to get food and water, yet the fence completely disregards their habitats in order to preserve border security. It was eyeopening to me to see a point of view other than a natural American. As Americans, we often talk about the cost, effectiveness, and moral aspects of border security. From what I've seen, the moral conversation we have concerning a wall is about being an inclusive nation, but I think sometimes we forget that people and even the environment are suffering because of our border security system.
ReplyDeleteBorders are constructs by man that unnaturally split landscape. For most places, these constructs stay on a map. They're symbolic and they don't directly hurt anything. Then there's the United States, which has taken the construct of a border on a map, and has actually implemented it in real life. Borders are not designed to be created in real life. Keeping Americans safe is an important thing, but I don't think we are going about this the right way at all. I believe a lot of our problems with immigration stem with our massive consumption of drugs. Instead of beefing up border security and hurting the environment and immigrants in the process, it would be better to focus on America's problems with drugs in which these issues may have actually started.
In Spanish photographer Ignacio Evangelista’s portfolio, “The Line on the Map", he attempts to prove that WE are the ones who input meaning into borders. As discussed in lecture, borders are created through maps, when spaces are divided by lines and marking sites. Without mankind attaching meaning to the borders that they drew, borders are just physical dividers. Only through repetition and acceptance does the meaning of borders become real. Looking through the photographs of the U.S. - Mexico border by Evangelista is quite heartbreaking, especially the extent that our nation has gone through to ensure that one race is unable to enter our country. One picture that really spoke to me was the one where the border was in the backyard of a residential neighborhood in Mexico. The intrusion of privacy and violation of safety that is reflected in this photograph is disappointing. Aerial photographs of the Mexico border only stressed the absurdity of the U.S. - Mexico border in certain areas. In most of the aerial pictures, one cannot tell where the existing borders lie. The terrain looks rough and challenging to walk through, which stresses the fact that in most places where this border is built, many people would not even travel there. Borders divide people and create racial biases, creating a hierarchical order of nationalities, as discussed in class.
ReplyDeleteThe wall is just as effective as a border in a sense where its man made. Even though Trump is creating a wall, there is not much we can do about it. It takes power and time to overturn the government. The wall is a physical border that cannot be crossed without citizenship. After reading the articles, I know understand how terrible this wall is. However, people need to understand that it is their choice to come here and must accept the consequence of choosing to come here regardless of how ignorant that wall is. As a son of two parents who are not from this country, I understand the pain and grief it causes. It divides people and that is the entire point of the wall. This wall is going to create only more problems because dividing people will never leave anyone unhappy. This is a controversial topic as it becomes personal to many people but the most we can do is control ourselves. The physical wall is a bold statement by Trump but also this is what America voted for. Although I do not agree to it, I have accepted the fact it is going to be built, and instead of complaining about my life and the problems I burden, I am going to fix it by helping my loved ones attain citizenship. This wall may divide for a moment or even awhile, but that wall will not stop me from making my family come back.
ReplyDeleteEvery time the word “border” came up, by default I thought about pretty pieces of stationery and the decoration on its edges. Although that may sound childish now, it reminds me of the innocence that word once had for me. Now, as I’ve grown and become more aware about the issue the U.S.-Mexican border is for this country, I think the word holds a bitterness and sadness that shouldn’t be there. Looking at the images of the border and seeing the documentary The Fence, I couldn’t help but think about the problems building a wall will bring. While a fence in itself looks non-threatening and vulnerable, it still causes devastation for either side. In the documentary, there’s the example of a flood that occurred on the Mexican side and that would have been less severe if the water could have been allowed to get through the fence. Since it couldn’t be done, the whole Mexican town flooded and a few people died while others lost everything they owned. The U.S. was left intact. With the creation of a wall, issues like these could be made worse, not to mention the millions of dollars taxpayers will have to contribute to the creation of something that won’t do much to keep out undocumented immigrants. As shown in the documentary, many immigrants don’t care much about the fence, one even saying that the U.S. could build 5,000 fences and it wouldn’t make a difference. In all, I think the creation of a wall will become more of a problem for citizens of the United States than for Mexicans. Afterall, it will be the United States who will pay for it.
ReplyDeleteThe topics we have been learning in lecture and the articles we were given during discussion both address a worldwide issue of divided nations/people. During lecture, we were told how birds eye view landscapes were seen as potential. Potential to find a better lifestyle, or even better, opportunity. This potential was exactly the reason why so many people are attracted to living in America- the land of the brave and free. Although the idea of a border used to be a simple concept, it is now more than that. It is a representation of a divided country and people. The aerial photography shown in the articles emphasizes just how difficult it would be to build a wall between Mexico and the United States. The photography does not just show a border, but it is now more of a comparison between the two countries.
ReplyDeleteThe articles and video relate to class through the usage of aria view points. Many times in class we look at and go over different view points, such as arial views of the grid system, panoramic landscapes and also from one point of view. These articles seem to focus on one view point, being the images are taken from a camera, some on the ground while others seem higher up. These aerial viewpoint are similar to the ones that we have been shown in lecture. The photos give well representation of land spanning where the border is. It displays the variety of landscapes that span across the border area. Our newsiest president, Donald Trump, wants to build a wall dividing the united states and Mexico. After seeing the photos of the land dividing the two nations, it looks almost incredibly hard to build a wall dividing the states. Some areas being in a rocky terrain, a flat dessert and some dividing two cities. Even though it is just a wall, it will effects millions. It will effects the animals living in throughout the region and also native americans living on the land.
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