Alternative Spring Break

In the desert it is almost too difficult to breath. All I have to do is make it to Tucson. I am weary but, almost by miracle, the jugs of water seem to appear out of nowhere. I don’t know who put them there, pero gracias a Dios! The coyote has advised us that la migra drive white cars and wear green uniforms. As I drift off to sleep, I see a black car in the distance, and I am reassured that it is not Border Patrol. But then I am stirred awake by a man with a rifle… What makes the Arizona border different from other border regions of the United States? What factors contribute to a migrant’s decision to cross the harsh desert? Why are civilian border watch groups popular in the region? How do Arizona’s large Latino population, growing retirement community and border security concerns affect both local and national immigration policy debates? In order to answer these questions, we will study current U.S immigration policy and examine the ways in which these policies affect civil society within Arizona. During our spring break trip we will travel to the Arizona border with Mexico, camp in the desert with an immigrant aid organization and meet other activists and politicians in border towns to engage with these policy issues firsthand. Throughout the course, we will examine the relationship between immigration policy and national identity.  Is America a country of laws or immigrants?  A land of prosperity or opportunity?  How do these identities relate?  What kind of culture arises out of the creation of borders and boundaries and their transgressors?