A reflection by Molly and Lillian:
Sitting around two long tables, covered in cloths of traditional Mexican pattern, a distinct silence fell over our meek group of 19 traveling in Southern Arizona. Not realizing that we had fallen into a concentrated silence, each of us sat, eating our lunches, completely immersed in the chilaquiles that lay before us. The voice of one of our leaders perked up to rouse each of us from our exhausted stupor, calling and inviting us to reflect on our day so far.
What a day it had been. We woke up and collected ourselves preposterously early (meet time 4am), embittered by the lack of sleep for daylight savings time. Traveling to the airport, we checked in as a group of individuals, not yet having cultivated the sense of community that would surely come later. We traveled together, ate breakfast, sipped our coffee, fell asleep and complained about overhead storage together. We began developing a team, laying a crucial foundation for the work that would await us in the desert land of Arizona.
We arrived in Tucson and were immediately immersed in the culture of BorderLinks, learning about the history of immigration and its relationships with inequity throughout our country’s history. We reflected and were thoughtful, engaging in some of the sad realities forced to unfold by an unjust history of prejudice and capital interest. Frankly, we were exhausted in both a literal and figurative sense. Many of us felt the weight and magnitude of the issue of immigration, as well as the depth of its roots in our society.
But, despite this, as we gathered again for dinner, a whopping 15 hours since we first met this morning, we shared a lively conversation that reflected both our hopefulness and passion for this cause, ready and excited to move forward tomorrow (after some sleep of course).
Today’s Itinerary:
Sunday, March 12th
3:45am: Initiate phone tree
4:00am: Arrive on Campus
6:00am: First of two flights
12:28pm: Arrive at Borderlinks
1:15pm Lunch & Clean up
2:00pm: Orientation
· Welcome and Introduction to BorderLinks/ Border History and Vision
· Popular Education Spiral
· Acuerdos/ Itinerary Review and Roles
· Lluvia de ideas/ Little Questions, Big Questions
4:00pm: Legal Immigration Simulation Reflection
5:00pm: Border History
7:00pm: Dinner out of kitchen
Border History – Learn about the evolution of the U.S./Mexico border—how has it been shaped by government policies and social realities.