Discuss: Exodus

Excellent essay. After living in Tucson for 10 years and touring the Southwest as a singer-songwriter, I moved backed east to North Carolina with a copy of Charles Bowden’s, “Frog Mountain Blues,” under my arm.  The first book I discovered in the Blue Ridge was “Mountain at the End of the Trail”  written by the late Bob Zahner and inspired by Charles Bowden. Now I am the one who is inspired. I am also scratching my head as to why I went from Tucson to Highlands only to find myself still surrounded by an ever increasing Mexican population.  My way of making sense of it all is through song.  Please listen to my new release, “Take Down the Walls"at http://cdbaby.com/cd/thea2 Thanks again, Charles, for the inspiration.
-Thea

Interesting and sad that in this same issue of Orion we read about agricultural workers, many of whom are immigrants from Latin America, being poisoned with pesticides while trying to live the American Dream.

I live in Northern New Mexico, to me the border is just a figment of the fevered imagination of the white polititions. Mexican people come and go and sometimes stay here without any blessing of any government. I think solution might be to send one Republican nativist south for every Mexican coming north. Perhaps they would return with more humility and compassion. We cannot afford to make enemies out of millions of hard working people who are re-energizing the aging north.

The imagery of this essay drew me in and made me live an experience that is primal.  I praise the brilliant writing in this essay.

Exactly this:  “They are not terrorists, and they are not political. They are desperate.”

I THINK WE NEED MORE OPEN BORDERS.
Two sanctuary cities Albuquerque & Santa Fe and one county Rio Ariba County in New Mexico to my knowledge have designated themselves sanctuary areas. The term generally applies to areas that do not allow municipal/county funds or resources to be used to enforce federal immigration laws, predominately by not allowing police or municipal/county employees to inquire about ones immigration status.

Wow Lindy. Your comments above add a dynamic perspective to this very strong piece of writing. I am a legal immigrant. My family waited almost a decade for papers, and they have worked so hard since coming to America to be as close to the “dream” as they are. They learned english, but it wasn’t easy. My father misses his great big family. I remember aunts and grandparents, but they are far away. There is a great duality of understanding that Lindy expressed, and it is rare: compassion for human/emotional circumstance and unbiased awareness of the social/economic implications of illegal immigration.

I think solution might be to send one Republican nativist south for every Mexican coming north. Perhaps they would return with more humility and compassion. We cannot afford to make enemies out of millions of hard working people who are re-energizing the aging north.