This past weekend, I had the privilege of rereading Gloria Anzaldúa’s classic text Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. I read it in preparation for Frontiers and Borderlands a graduate course taught by Dr. Emily Lutenski, professor of American Studies at Saint Louis University.
On Tuesday, class discussion centered on the following poetic passage:
This land was Mexican once
was Indian always and is
and will be again.
Anzaldúa’s words foreshadow a time when the United States will no longer be a land dominated by white supremacy. They bring hope for some. And, understandably so, evoke anxiety for a white other.
What an apt historical moment to read these words. The very next day, the following photograph made its rounds via social media:
Honduran migrants walking towards the US in Guatemala. Quite a photo.
(by Orlando Estrada) pic.twitter.com/7TbRtnm9Qf
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) October 17, 2018
Migrantes centroamericanos. Brown-skinned mestizos making their way northward, en route to the U.S. Southern border. Determined. Bearing flags, bearing hope, bearing dreams. The picture yells, “¡Allá vamos! Here we come.”
Today, a white other speaks. A particular white other.
I am watching the Democrat Party led (because they want Open Borders and existing weak laws) assault on our country by Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose leaders are doing little to stop this large flow of people, INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS, from entering Mexico to U.S…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018
….In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught – and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018
….The assault on our country at our Southern Border, including the Criminal elements and DRUGS pouring in, is far more important to me, as President, than Trade or the USMCA. Hopefully Mexico will stop this onslaught at their Northern Border. All Democrats fault for weak laws!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018
Less poetic than Anzaldúa, no doubt.
White anxiety speaks.
And still speaks loudly.
***
Carlos Ruiz was born in Mexico City and grew up in Nashville, TN. He is a DACA recipient and currently a PhD student in American Studies at Saint Louis University.
