Borderlands – Chapter 1: The Homeland, Aztlan
The book starts of with a part of a song from Los Tigres del Norte, which
describes ‘el otro Mexico,’ which is the other Mexico. After the introduction that was
given from the song, she then describes how the border, which divides Mexico and the
United States, in a form of a poem. Her meaning of a border is a dividing line, a narrow
strip along a steep edge. “This land was Mexican once, was Indian always and is, and
will be again.” She says that the choice of Mexican crossing illegally as to “stay in
Mexico and starve or to move north and live.” Just because illegal Mexicans move to the
north doesn’t mean they’ll be taken advantage of, but they fear of being deported back
into Mexico if they got caught. I think she thinks that every Mexican’s dream is to cross
the border and get to the other side. “Often the coyote (smuggler) doesn’t feed her days
or let her go to the bathroom. Often he rapes her to sell her into prostitution. She cannot
call the county or state health or economic resources because she doesn’t know English,
and she fears deportation.”