Written by Lily Frye (Border Trip 2023)
Our first full day! Everyone started their day at different times, with some waking up for prayer to others waking up to go on a run to some gathering in the kitchen for cereal and pancakes. We then left around 8:30am to start our day visiting different individuals to learn more about what is happening on the border.
We first stopped at the Abara House, meeting with Sami DiPasquale the executive director. Their vision is to inspire, “connections beyond borders through mutual understanding, education, and meaningful action.” We learned about their actions here in El Paso and Juárez. They are currently working on a new facility (estimated completion of 2027) that is right on a portion of the border where they hope to expand their resources for migrants. Before leaving we had the opportunity to buy bracelets, t-shirts, prints, and other goods made by migrants, with all proceeds benefiting the creators.
Before our next stop we had some downtime, so we stopped at the location that the Abara House is beginning to renovate. This was the first time many people have physically seen the border, including myself. Maggie and Nicole have the task of interviewing people we meet with throughout our time here in El Paso, as well as our team members. During our brief time at this stop they asked individuals about their initial reactions and whether it met their expectations. It seemed that most individuals expectations were different then what we witnessed. From what I have seen in the media and hearing others experiences, I personally thought that there would be border patrol and migrants everywhere, but in reality there was no one there but us. Looking forward to the next stop, and some air conditioning, we jumped into the van where I tracked the border/fence the whole way, in awe of the reality of where we were.
We then visited La Mujer Obrera, which means ‘The Working Woman.’ In their building they have a café, trading company, and daycare, with their goal being to support those in the community on both sides of the border, those individuals mainly being woman. We learned more about what is going on in El Paso on a daily basis and how that has changed over the years, from jobs and the economy to the environmental effects seen on the community in El Paso.
After speaking with a woman who works at the organization, we moved to the café where we ate until our buttons popped. We tried almost everything we could on their menu, some of my favorites being albondigas al chipotle (turkey meatballs with a medium hot chipotle sauce), enchiladas verdes o rojas (red or green enchiladas filled with cheese), and flauatas (shredded beef or potato flautas with guacamole, panela cheese, and red onion), which was my favorite dish and I would compare to the frozen taquitos you can buy in a grocery store (obviously the flauatas being much better in every way possible). After eating, we shopped in the trading company and then piled into the van for our next stop.
Our next stop was Sacred Heart Church for a meeting with Father Michael Gallagher, a lawyer who works with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). The picture above is not of the church, but rather the surroundings where many migrants have found themselves after crossing the border. We talked with him about immigration from an international perspective, formulating an opinion to his question of whether those who cross borders are threats. The overwhelming idea being that the general action of crossing borders is a normal thing, whether it is for work, school, or “pleasure;” the majority of those crossing borders on a daily basis are not doing so in order to seek refuge or asylum. However, I have realized that politics has skewed our view of why most people cross a border, but is important to look at the numbers from a larger perspective.
We then ended our day back at our home base where we met with green architect Kim Schafer, who is also the project director for the Abara House property previously mentioned. We discussed what climate change is in plain scientific terms, as well as the push and pull factors of global migration. We then connected these two concepts looking at what we can individually, and in our communities, to combat climate change which has drastic effects on global migration patterns.
After that presentation, we all collected in the courtyard of our home for the week to eat baked spaghetti, bread, and salad, with other options for our friends with food restrictions of course. We ate and talked about the day, our favorite tv shows, and what we were thinking about doing with our night.
Before completely winding down for the day, we met with Deirdre Griffin, a lawyer who gave us an “Immigration 101 Crash Course.” We have spent the semester learning all about the border, why people leave their homes, and the process of getting into the United States and other countries. However, for 30 minutes we had the undivided attention of someone who has dedicated her life to helping migrants. We asked questions about general U.S. immigration policy, her time in El Paso, and what could happen in the next week with the end of Title 42.
She then joined us for ice cream, where we gathered both inside and outside, easing into a night of hanging out and spending time with one another.
Come back tomorrow to hear about our day visiting more sites around El Paso and going back to volunteer at the Sacred Heart Church!
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