Week Five: Voices of Cuernavaca and The Impact of Community

A highlight of this week was a delicious lunch with the Base Christian Community group, Luz y Libertad.

Members of Luz y Libertad included Teresa Andrade Garcia, Maria Alma Chaires, Victoria Maria de Leon Alvarado, Eustorqia Estada Saldana and Blanca (last name not available).



By Camille Hart



This past week was interesting and eventful. We had quite a few excursions that gave us insight on different aspects of Base Christian Communities (BCCs) and the people involved. Before coming to Mexico I had never heard of a Base Christian Community but what I have learned has sparked an interest.


What is a Base Christian Community? According to our Liberation Theology Instructor, Ann Lutterman- Aguilar, BCC’s are group meetings where people come and study the Bible through the view of their lives. The communities are most likely made up of poor people coming together to analyze their reality. We had the opportunity to meet with two base Christian communities. The first group we met with has not been around long but they carry on with the few people they have come, which can be as few as 5. The second group, Luz y Libertad, has been in existence for almost 17 years. These two groups had some similarities in their beliefs but their actions where different.


Tuesday evening we attended the bible study of the first community. There were about 10 people in attendance throughout the meeting not including our group. One of the first things we did was go around a home made cross made on a table with different pictures. Each one of us was to go around the circle and share which picture caught our eye. All of the pictures were of women. Many people pointed out the picture of the Virgin Guadalupe in the center. One of the few men there shared how important the Virgin is and that she is an example of liberation. That discussion was a leeway into the scripture for that evening. The passage of choice was Luke 1:39-56: Mary Visits Elizabeth and Mary’s Song of Praise. We discussed what Mary symbolizes to us. People shared that Mary was strong, a leader, a messenger, and obedient. A few women pointed out that they looked up to Mary for being obedient but the leader pointed out that obedience is not what Mary symbolizes because obedience can be a form of oppression, instead Mary was a symbol of courage.

Courage is a good way to view Mary. Another question we were faced with was: where are the Marys’ of today? It took me a couple of minutes to think about that question and by the time I was ready to answer a few other questions had been asked but it was important to share where they are. I said, “The Mary’s of today are right here”. I meant that in a number of ways. Earlier we had discussed the obstacles the group faced of getting more people to attend. One of them was that some women were not able to attend because their partners would not let them or they were afraid of retaliation if they did. So for those women who did come they displayed courage and the same went for the men who attended. The men displayed courage against the taunting they may receive by other males for being apart of the group. The people in attendance also demonstrated the courage of Mary by encouraging others to attend these meetings.

Thursday we met with Luz y Libertad. It is organized between five women, four which have been apart for over a decade.[2] They began as a base Christian community that reflected on the word of God but over time they have evolved into an organization that does much more. In addition to weekly bible studies, the ladies of Luz y Libertad facilitate workshops though out the year. The workshops cover three different subjects: Nutrition, Arts & Crafts, and Self Esteem. In the nutrition work shop participants are educated on how to make dishes with soy, gluten, and wheat germ. All the items they are taught to cook with are much cheaper than meat and can be sold to others. The Arts & Crafts workshops teach attendees embroidery and bag weaving. These skills can be used to bring more income to the women because it is difficult for people over 30 in Mexico to find work in factories or businesses. The third workshop on self esteem is a forum to make women aware of the social inequalities around them. It is an open discussion where everyone can learn from each other, there is no teacher. A donation of 10 pesos is asked for each workshop session but no one is turned away if they can’t pay. The members of Luz y Libertad also shared that Mary is important to them and is someone we should replicate (just like at the first BCC). By giving workshops the women of Luz y Libertad are imitating Mary.

Friday we met with other women that exemplified the same courage as Mary. All three women are associated with the Crossing Borders program. [3] They shared their personal stories of living in poverty and what that lead to. All three women have fallen victim of abuse by someone who abused alcohol but they were able to over come their past. One of the ladies got an accounting degree and is now working for a non-profit and taking care of her disabled son. One of the cooks for CEMAL who recently started elementary school to learn how to read was determined and successful at getting all of her children educated. A former cook for CEMAL overcame the abuse of her husband after attending BCC meetings that also taught her to read by using the Bible. Not only did she encourage her children to get educated because she had sacrificed a lot for them, she also encouraged us to appreciate the opportunity to gain an education.

To wrap up the BCC experience, Sunday we attended a remembrance ceremony/ market put on by the first BCC that we visited. A close friend of the group and former CGE employee, Felix Arines, passed away a few years ago and in celebration of his life the group has a market every two weeks. At the market people sell food, clothes, household items, etc. This particular Sunday was the anniversary of the passing and as a way to celebrate there was a service that had representatives from different religions backgrounds. The sense of community at the market is something that I can’t wait to experience again.



Professor Ann Lutterman-Aguilar speaking in memory of friend and colleague Felix Arines at the rememberance ceremony.


















By Emily Papke-Larson


At the beginning of our fifth week into the study abroad session, our group traveled to the home of Alejandro Gonzalez Aranda, a prominant graphic artist inthe community of Cuernavaca. We were warmly welcomed and given an interesting lecture using the art that he creates as a guide to the history of the Mexican Revolution. His talk was complete with old black and white photographs of manyof the key players in the revolution and it was interesting to finally havevisual images to go with all of the history we have been taking in. Alejandrohas a new art exhibit in the works which opened at Augsburg College in the Christensen Center Art Gallery on September 14th, and will be running through October 26th. This particular show is entitled: Una vision oculta de Mexico atraves de sus tejedoras de palma” or An unseen vision of Mexico through her women weavers of palm.

On Friday morning we were allowed a privilaged glimpse into the lives of three strong Mexican women during a round-table discussion about women’sempowerment. Xochitl Ramirez Velasco, Teresa Velazquez, and Loren Landa each told us their personal stories and gave us beautiful examples of what strengthand courage it takes to find your voice when faced with steep and oftendangerous odds. I truly believe that stories are the threads that bind ustogether and the words which have the most meaning to us, we weave together tocreate stories which allow us to more fully connect to others.

bell hooks writes that “Tension is alleviated by people speaking the truthof their lives, not just the truth of knowledge.” I believe this quote alsoholds much truth, for although being reminded of past hardships can beincredibly painful, it can also be very healing. By telling our own stories andsharing an intimate part of ourselves we all become teachers and a formaleducation becomes irrelevant. We provide others with the opportunity to learnfrom us and it is often the stories that are most quitely spoken which have themost impact on us. Xochitl, Tere, and Loren all told us incredible stories abouttheir lives and the three hours that we spent together were filled with bothlaughter and tears. I found myself pulled toward these women in a way in which Inever expected. These are the women who live with us, provide us with wonderfulmeals, share smiles and jokes with us and seemingly never stop giving ofthemselves. They are also women who have experienced more suffering than I canimagine.

Stories of liberation are often filled with pain and suffering but they arealso filled with selfless acts, brave decisions and courageous steps forward.These three women are among the most courageous I have ever met. They have leftabusive relationships, stood up for themselves and others when necessary,refused to remain stagnant and have continued growing through out their lives,and although they may not realize it, these women have provided inspiration forthe many students who have passed through CEMAL.

On Thursday night a group of students attended an optional discussion/question and anwser session on sexuality in Mexico led by Raziel Valiño, a former CGE intern who is now working on her thesis, studying bisexuality in the state of Morelos. The discussion was awesome, covering ground we were all wondering about, but hadn’t had the opportunity to learn about yet.

The LGBTQ movement in Mexico is quite large but also quite young, making itsfirst appearance in the 1980’s. Although it is a young movement, it has alreadyhad quite an impact on the culture in Mexico, especially in large cities such asMexico City, where the domestic partnerships law was recently passed. However,despite the size of the movement there is still a large social stigmasurrounding the LGBTQ movement in Mexico. The identifying term “Queer” is nonexistant and those who choose to support the queer movement often fall prey tosocial stigma. It is also acceptable for those who choose to identify LGBTQ tobe “out” in their small social circles, but sexuality is generally not spokenabout. The media, especially soap operas, play a large role influencing thedominant sexual identiy of the culture. Mexico has very heavily stereotypedroles for both men and women and because of this many young people often don’tidentify as LGBTQ.For those living in the indigenous communities the concept ofsexuality is different then for those living in urban areas. Women are often unaware of their bodies and as a result feel ashamed of learning about orshowing it. Because of this trend, sex is generally only for producing children,who provide an inexpensive (except for food, clothing. etc.) and large laborforce. This was one of our most enlightening discussions yet because of it’sinformal atmosphere. Overall, this week was one filled with great discussionsand lots of learning.

Week Four: Introductions to Globalization, Mesoamerican Spirituality, and Theologies of Liberation and Domination

By Amanda Sneed

Our topics for this week focused on globalization, NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), gender in Mesoamerican religions, and an introduction to theologies of liberation and domination.

For this week, we read John Perkins’ Confessions of an Economic Hit Man in which Perkins (a former economic hit man or EHM) describes his work for the international development corporation, MAIN.1 His job title, chief economist, seems innocent enough. Perkins, however, soon learns that his job entails convincing countries in the global south to take out huge loans with the World Bank for development projects they did not really need in order to insure dependence on the United States. Perkins writes, “The unspoken aspect of every one of these projects was that they were intended to create large profits for the contractors, and make a handful of wealthy and influential families in the receiving countries very happy, while assuring the long-term financial dependence and therefore the political loyalty of governments around the world; the larger the loan, the better. The fact that the debt burden placed on a country would deprive its poorest citizens of health, education, and other social services for decades to come was not taken into consideration”.2 Confessions of an Economic Hit Man offered a solid, engaging foundation for understanding the complexities and impacts of globalization. Throughout the week, we discussed the many pros and cons of globalization as well the ways in which we, personally, contribute to globalization and cultural imperialism. The general consensus among students concerning globalization is that, in theory, globalization has much to offer and, if correctly implemented, could produce positive results. Unfortunately, globalization, in the hands of a few powerful people, has lost its potential for good.

On Tuesday night, we met with Bernardo Garduño for a discussion about the history and effects of NAFTA. Garduño has studied international relations and economics and currently works for a pharmaceutical company named, Hospina.3 He provided us with an overview of Mexico’s many trade agreements (including NAFTA) and discussed how Mexico’s economic situation has changed since NAFTA first went into effect in 1994. Garduño explained that Mexico’s economy has increased significantly as a result of NAFTA. Despite the increased economy, Garduño explained that many Mexican citizens were still living in poverty. Overall, Garduño supported NAFTA. In his concluding remarks, he said, “The free trade agreement [NAFTA] was the right thing to do. But, was it the right time? [to initiate NAFTA] No.”.4

Our class discussions in “Latin American Liberation Theologies” this week focused on Mesoamerican indigenous societies and spiritualities. On Monday, we had the opportunity to meet with a leading researcher and author in the area of gender and Mesoamerican religions, Dr. Sylvia Marcos.5 Prior to our meeting with Dr. Marcos, we read two of her published works: “Clergy, Goddesses, and Eroticism”6 and “Bodies and Gender in Mesoamerican Religions”7. After reading some of her work, it was a pleasure to meet Dr. Marcos in person. In her talk, she focused on the differences existing between the Mesoamerican “permeable corporality” concept of the body versus the Western concept of the body being “in opposition to mind”. “Permeable corporality” refers to the belief that the “exterior and interior are not separated by the hermetic barrier of the skin”.8 I was surprised to learn that though the western view of the body is, worldwide, the most dominant, it is not the most common. Three-fourths of the world’s population believes, like Mesoamerican religions, in the fluidity and permeability of the human body.9 Prior to this semester, I had not studied societies’ concepts of the body. I find this area of study fascinating and hope to learn more as the semester continues.

This week marks our first ventures into the area of theologies of domination and liberation, an area of study we will continue to learn more about through the duration of the semester. As an introduction to liberation theology, we met with Alejandro Castillo on Wednesday. Castillo is a former Franciscan priest who left the priesthood after being accused of breaking cannon law.10 He is currently still working within the Catholic Church as layperson, advocating the gospel of liberation and “the preferential option for the poor”. Castillo began his talk with a discussion on colonization and euro-centrism as a basis for understanding the many social problems existing today within the Church and in the larger society. He explained that in order to hear the voices of the poor (of those in the periphery), we must “decolonize our minds and get away from the idea that all good knowledge comes from the center” (the center being the dominant culture, history, philosophy, and worldview).11 Castillo emphasized that liberation theology is about “evangelizing” (in this sense meaning, “pastoral action” which “works to dignify life) the true Gospel which advocates for the poor and “least of these”. This is what is meant by the “preferential option for the poor” which came out of the Second General Assembly of CELAM held in Medellin in 1968. Castillo explained that western socialization teaches us to ignore the hunger of the poor and focus on ourselves. “We cannot talk about a person as an abstraction,” said Catillo, “we must talk about the body. We talk about the body that feels hunger. When a person says to you ‘I’m hungry,’ you cannot ignore the hungry person before you.”12 Castillo also shared with us a brief history of the Catholic Church since Vatican II, explaining that the current leadership is very much allied with U.S. political and economic agendas and has lost sight of the preferential option for the poor. He explained that many people today refer to Pope Benedict as Bishop Ratzinger (his name before becoming Pope) in order to remember his role in “persecution” while serving as chair of the Commission for the Doctrine of Faith (formerly named “Commission of the Holy Inquisition”). In his closing remarks, Castillo said that liberation theology is “the hope for all of humanity, for all, not just for Christianity”.13


Endnotes__________________________________

Perkins, J. (2004). Confessions of an economic hit man. San Francisco, CA: Penguin.
From, Perkins J. (2004). (p. 18).
Garduño, B. Center for Global Education lecture. “NAFTA”. Cuernavaca. 12 Sept. 2007.
From, Garduño, B. 12 Sept. 2007.
Marcos, S. Center for Global Education lecture. “Gender and Mesoamerica Indigenous Spirituality”. Cuernavaca. 10 Sept. 2007
Marcos, S. (1991). “Clergy, Goddesses, and Eroticism: Excerpts of an Essay on Catholicism’s Confrontation with Mesoamerica”. (p. 11-13).
Marcos, S. (2002). “Bodies and Gender in Mesoamerican Religions”. (pp. 102-110). London: SCM Press.
From, Marcos, S. (2002). (p. 105).
From, Marcos, S. 10 Sept. 2007.
Castillo, A. Center for Global Education lecture. “Liberation Theology”. Cuernavaca. 11 Sept. 2007. Castillo is a former Franciscan priest who recently left the priesthood after being accused of breaking cannon law. He currently works within the Church as a layperson.
From, Castillo, A. 11 Sept. 2007.
From, Castillo, A. 11 Sept. 2007.
From, Castillo, A. 11 Sept. 2007.


I created the following illustration and poem in response to Alejandro Castillo’s discussion on Liberation Theology.

Gotta make up for centuries of
Oppression each morning
Putting on my shoes,
Undoing the past, to create the
Past I think should have been
Brushing my teeth I dream
Of a justice, not just for me
Read more, I say
There I will find the answers
In these pages I can
Lose my place on this page
In history
Scrub hard, I say
Wash away white to know
Color
Raised colorblind, I can see
Nothing at all
Give it up, I say
The comfort, stomach full
Hunger will eat my guilt
Reconciling myself to myself
Eyes shut tightly
All I see are my eyelids
Kaleidoscoped veins
I see my insides only
Heart, lungs, spine
Ovaries
Open your eyes, I say
To discover this
Is not about me
Waking each morning still
Wondering when I will know what
I cannot know
Even if I can see

Week Three: Settling into the semester

-By Shana Rubenstein






Walking to a ceremonial site. Photo by Daniel Staples.


This past week, we focused on pre-conquest Cosmovison in Mesoamerica, as well as began to gain a grasp on neoliberal globalization. Cosmovision is defined by David Carrasco as ¨patterns of worldmaking, worldcentering, and worldrenewing…the ways in which cultures combine their cosmological notions relating to time and space into a structural and systematic whole.¨[1] These two themes were brought together in our visit to a Nahua indigenous village in Morelos. Through this visit, we learned both about Nahua cosmovision and its impact on generations of people, and how the current form of globalization, characterized by environmental destruction and disregard for people, is a constant threat to the Nahua community. Nahuatl is the most commonly spoken indigenous language in Mexico, and Nahuas trace their roots back more than 10,000 years[2]. We were fortunate to speak with a Nahua member of the communal land council, spiritual leader, and veterinarian.

One main idea expressed by the Nahua cosmovision is the notion of duality[3]. In this idea, everything had its opposite, but rather than a binary where one side triumphs over the other (such as the relationship between men and women in a patriarchal society) the emphasis is on finding balance between the equal pulls of the duality. The originary God, Ometeotl, embodies this balance by being simultaneously male and female. Other dualities include night and day, light and darkness, and life and death. There is a very strong emphasis on harmony with the earth, and with the earth and the people mutually sustaining one another.

During the time of conquest, the Spanish fought not only for land but also religious and ideological domination. The conquistadors, with the blessing of the pope and the royalty of Spain, violently instituted systems of patriarchy and racial hierarchy, systems that were the antithesis of the Nahua cosmovision. What has resulted from the introduction of Catholicism is a syncretism of Nahua and Catholic beliefs, and Nahua spirituality remains strong in the community we visited.

The Nahua speaker also spoke with us about the detrimental affect of developers who attempt to buy communally-held land illegally. This practice, along with the destruction of the environment, shows how some of the effects of globalization through the consequences of NAFTA reach this community in damaging ways. In order to join the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico under president Carlos Salinas de Gotari had to agree to repeal some elements of the constitution that were fought for and won during the Mexican Revolution, specifically Article 27 which responded to the struggle led by Emiliano Zapata for communal land rights. This article states that communal and ejido land (land repossessed from large plantations after the Revolution) belongs to those who work it, and asserts that this land cannot be bought or sold. Now that this article has been changed, the communal lands of indigenous groups, upon which their livelihood often depends, are in limbo.

In this trip, we were able to learn of the constant tension between the survival and spirituality of a community that has inhabited the land for thousands of years and the impinging demands of a system that blindly puts forth economic growth as the universal objective, regardless of human cost. As we continue to learn about globalization and liberation theology, we will have a greater grasp both of what brought us to our current situation, and who stands to be affected by policies and worldviews on a global scale.

[1] David Carrasco, Religions of Mesoamerica. (San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1990), 50.
[2] Speaker, September 3, 2007, Morelos.
[3] Sylvia Marcos, ¨Bodies and Gender in Mesoamerican Religions¨ In The Body and Religion (SCM Press, 2002 Ed.s Regina Ammicht-Quinn and Elsa Tamez)








The group returning from a Nahua spiritual ceremony. Photo by Daniel Staples

Week Two: Our Arrival in Mexico

By Janet Crenshaw






While on this program, I have discovered I am filled with contradictions. I am Catholic, but I’ve never read the bible. I judged the Border Patrol agents for being too passionate in things that I disagreed with, however I lack firm opinions other than what my liberal community has encouraged me to think. Also, I like wearing heels and skirts, but I also agree with our readings and discussions that gender is a social construction and that these are traits I have been socialized into doing. While I constantly asked questions this week about if something is right or wrong, I learned that it isn’t always about being right or wrong, but about being aware, conscious and educated about my decisions.



During the past two weeks, we have discussed the importance of acknowledging the contradictions in ourselves and of our world, raising awareness on social issues and questioning our intentions. On Wednesday, we visited the Diego Rivera mural (“History of Morelos: Conquest and Revolution”) in the Palacio de Cortez. As part of the social realism movement, Rivera painted this huge mural to show the history in a way that those who did not have an education or literacy skills could understand (although I was still really confused…). In the middle of the mural, there is an image of Spanish men with their eyes closed as they blind themselves from the violence they performed on the indigenous people. In our many reflections at the border and during this week, we have been encouraged to question our role in the system of oppression as consumers, Americans and as volunteers. Just as the Spanish hid from acknowledging their oppressive actions, I too sometimes feel that it is easier to turn my head from the effects of where I spend my dollar and instead enjoy the privileged life of a white middle class American. However, as this program has shown, while working for social transformation, we must push our comfort levels and discuss these contradictions in (as our professors call it) a “safe, uncomfortable” space.

After leaving the Rivera mural, we visited Xochicalco, an ancient sacred site that was once a center for knowledge, religious, and commercial trade. As Lisanne showed us, there was always a reason for why and where buildings were built. In the large meeting area, the pyramids were positioned in a way that permits a speaker to only have to talk normally for a large crowd to hear. Also, when one claps near the large pyramid, the sound of a cockatoo echos off the structure. In a film about the ancient cities of Mexico, the narrator dramatically tells of how these centers were almost as good as we are. However, about 100 years ago when a part of the structure was moved, the sound that was once made when you clap by this certain building could not be recreated. While we have many who excel in physics, we have not be able to recreate the necessary soundwaves. This excursion shows how we need to acknowledge ancient community knowledge, similar to the need to show support and acknowledge women’s knowledge. In Xochicalco, women’s work was respected, unlike how household labor and women’s role in development as received no economic value, as discussed in Liberating Economics. Also, in this community, gays and lesbians were seen as sacred because they had the energy of both male and females, and did not need an opposite to make them complete and balanced. So by acknowledging advanced ancient customs that are often viewed as inferior to present day technology and mindsets, we can question how we live today.



So while it is a contradiction to come to Mexico to study social issues that exist in the United States (that we don’t always realize), and how I encourage recycling, but sometimes I too get lazy, and how there is a sign above the sink warning about cockroaches, but sometimes people still leave dirty dishes in the sink, I have become aware of the many contractions that throw me off the balance that the Xochicalco community praised.



Drucilla K. Barker and Susan F. Feiner, Liberating Economics. (Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press, 2004),

Ann described each section of the Diego Rivera mural at the Palacio de Cortez for all of us.

By Kathryn Sweet
Our second week, in stark contrast to the first, was light on guest speakers and included more “internal class sessions.” After visiting the ancient city of Xochicalco, the group spent two nights at an ex-hacienda (plantation) – now a campground and B&B – called Santa Cruz. As this trip was billed as a “mini-retreat” in our schedules, several of us were expecting plenty of down time. I will say up front that it wasn’t that kind of retreat. While it provided a necessary and very thorough introduction to the program’s themes, the two days of intensive group discussion left everyone mentally and physically exhausted (I was asleep within ten minutes of returning to Cuernavaca!). That said, the ten assigned pre-trip readings provoked many thoughtful discussions – and hopefully each student and professor was able to take away something from those conversations besides an intense loathing of someone else in the group.

So, specifically, what did we do that wore everyone out so much? The 8:45 am icebreaker activities were probably to blame more so than anything else – in a group of mostly “morning people,” I suppose that was seen as the best time to get acquainted with our professors. The picture shown here is a fine example of one of Friday morning’s icebreaker: this one was called “back to back,” and required people to pair up and match up random body parts before discussing a really deep question. How often do you get to see your professor put her chin on a student’s thigh? (The woman in front with the gray pants, by the way, is Judy, one of the political science professors.) In any event, “back to back” provided some comic relief.

Since it’s difficult to give a detailed description of our discussions of ten articles, here are some of the main themes that came up. A particularly relevant one was our place in Mexico, as a group of mostly white American students. What’s the proper way to respond to the frequent catcalling that we’ve already experienced? Why should we resist the urge to just go and fix what we find wrong with Mexican society? We also devoted most of Thursday’s class to issues of feminism, gender, and the field of women’s studies. As a women’s studies major, I probably enjoyed this more than those who were new to the field. At the same time, I was interested to hear the perspectives of women’s studies novices (not something I usually get to hear in my upper-level women’s studies classes back home); the variety of viewpoints really seemed to enrich the dialogue we had. Everyone had something different to contribute to the gender-related discussions; they did not simply consist of the group’s three women’s studies majors pontificating.

Though the retreat at Santa Cruz was draining, it sped up the process of getting to know our professors – and managed to compress Women’s Studies 101 and Postcolonial Theory for Dummies into two days. It will be weeks until our next overnight trip, so hopefully now we can settle into our classes, using the knowledge gained at Santa Cruz as a basis for everything we study throughout the semester

The semester begins....

WEEK ONE: Our Week at the Border: El Paso, TX /Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

- By Rachel Steel

Our Border Awareness Experience officially began Friday, August 19th. All fourteen students gathered in the living room at 10:00 a.m. when Irasema Coronado, the associate Dean and a professor at the University of Texas came to speak to us at Casa Vides. She grew up on the Southern Arizona side along the border and has been studying the border for about twenty years. She teaches public policy because she “wants to influence future policy makes in Mexico”[1]. Irasema covered many topics and provided us with a great foundation before our week touring the border began.

Irasema explained that people come to the U.S. for a variety of reasons; not all those crossing the border are coming to the U.S. just to live here. People come to El Paso from Mexico to visit family, to shop, for fun, for medical reasons, and to come to school. Similarly, people cross into Juarez from El Paso to party, for medical services, cheaper shopping and for work. Irasema explained that the U.S. and Mexico are very interdependent. El Paso is one of the poorest communities in the U.S. and relies heavily on Mexico. She believes that if everyone stopped crossing the border for a week there would be a tremendous economic impact and the U.S. government would be forced to listen and make changes.

Irasema discussed about a book called Enrique’s Journey, which is about children in detention. In the book, Sonia Nazario talks about the need for cooperation so children in detention are reunited with their parents or other family members. Some children are alone for months before meeting with a judge where they must explain why they came to the U.S. One of Irasema’s lasting thoughts was that we must criticize and question those who generalize. She warned that people who are anti-immigration often capitalize on synedochial generalizations.

A couple days later we visited the Border Patrol Museum for a presentation about the history and purpose of the Border Patrol. The two Border Patrol agents who presented to our group were Michelle Lebouef and Ramiro Cordero. Ramiro did not seem to understand our dependence on Mexico and seemed particularly oblivious to our economic dependence on illegal immigrants. Ramiro felt that illegal immigrants threatened his way of life explaining that he “does not want to pay for everyone”. However, as Professor Irasema pointed out, the opposite is true; we live the way we do because of illegal immigrants. We need illegal immigrants to do the jobs that we do not want to do. Our way of life here in the U.S. is dependent on illegal immigrants working construction, farming, and cleaning for very little money. As Irasema said, “we want the work but not the worker”1.

At the end of the presentation I asked the agents if they were personally invested in the political reforms and legislation regarding immigration. I was shocked when they both answered no. Michelle explained, “I’m just glad I don’t have to make those decisions about what to do with 1 million undocumented” [2] while Ramiro replied, “We’re just here to enforce the laws”3.

During the presentation Ramiro explained that the “Border Patrol does not split up families”[3]. He stated that unaccompanied minors are given to organizations that reunite them with their family which takes about 6-24 hours. Ramiro informed us that we would “be surprised how well we work together with agencies to deal with young children”3. This seemed to contradict the realities portrayed by Professor Irasema and many other sources I have encountered. For example, The Power of Love by Ana Amali Guzman Molina is about a mother’s experience being separated from her children for a whole year while she was detained in an immigration jail[4]. This overwhelming influx of information from all different sources makes deciphering the truth difficult. However, coming to El Paso and participating in the Border Experience Program has allowed us to see first hand the issues and problems that we have read and heard so much about. I agree with Professor Irasema that one of the best things we can do is to continue to question and criticize. Unlike Ramiro and Michelle, I do not just want to sit by and let others decide what happens at our borders and what to do with ‘a million undocumented immigrants’.

[1] Irasema Coronado, Associate Dean, University of Texas, lecture on August 19th, 2007 in El Paso, Texas
[2] Michelle Leboueft, Border Patrol Agent, presentation on August 21st, 2007 in El Paso, Texas
[3] Ramiro Cordero, Border Patrol Agent, presentation on August 21st, 2007 in El Paso, Texas
[4] Ana Amali Guzman Molina, The Power of Love; My Experience in a U.S. Immigration Jail. (Ecumenicral Program, December 2003).

Members of our group with guests at the Annunciation House

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-By Emily Shaffer

On our first week abroad we took part in the Border Awareness Experience along the El Paso/Ciudad Juarez border. One thing we examined was the issue of the quality of life that pushes many people out of Mexico, its complexity and how it is rooted in our own consumerism. In our group of 14 students we would love for the maquiladora workers to be paid more, however, we are all guilty of buying products made in these maquilas and other factories similar to them around the world just because of the cheap prices.

On our visit to Pastoral Obrerra, an organization that is set up to inform workers of their rights and fighting cases on behalf of underpaid workers in Ciudad Juarez, one of the lawyers, Victor Hugo, explained that while these workers receive benefits such as transportation, child care, and meals while working, that is not enough to lift them from a cycle of poverty and improve their quality of living. When we took a tour of the ADC maquiladora, we were given a presentation of the factory through the eyes of managers and supervisors. They showed us the facilities and told us about the wonderful daycare center and cafeteria and the facilities were clean and well kept. One of the directors, Jose Vidal, answered our questions about the history and what is manufactured in the factory. Many of the questions we asked were about wages and what the average worker would make. Vidal lives in El Paso so he makes enough money to support this lifestyle, while most of the workers in maquiladoras do not make enough to live in the city where the factory is located. This discrepancy in salaries is one of complaints and possible solutions for improving the lives of workers in Mexico. These issues of employment and standard of living are important in understanding why so many immigrants try and cross the border.

On our first visit to the Annunciation House we heard the story of a young couple and why they had chosen to come to the United States. The couple, Javier and Carmela, had tried crossing five times before and every time they were caught and deported. The reason they kept trying so hard to cross the border was to raise enough money to get married and to send back to their family. In Oaxaca, Javier was making about $50 a week working the fields, but after one day working construction in the US he would make about $40. This comparison of wages explains why so many immigrants are willing to risk their lives to cross the border and work jobs that not many US citizens would want to have.

From this experience I learned that the issue of immigration is not clear cut and there is no one solution to end the debate. On the border I found myself often frustrated trying to think of ways to appease everyone on both sides of this debate. No wall or fence can keep people out when the push factors such as starvation and poverty are so strong and to suggest that one be constructed seems inhumane. This experience made me reconsider how much I take the privileges I have had just by being born to parents who are US citizens on US soil. It also made me aware of the borders I put up between myself and those that I might not agree with or that make me uncomfortable. While these borders are abstract and intangible they can still be just as destructive because they block the path towards positive change and learning from each other.

I took this picture on the border tour on ourfirst full day. The train represents one of the ways that people arewilling to risk their lives while crossing the border. The AnnunciationHouse volunteers told us of a young girl who had stayed with them whohad lost her leg while trying to jump onto a train