Beyond the Walls that Divide Us

 

Beyond the Walls that Divide Us

By: Max Deggendorfer and Finn Kelly 

Today, February 20 2025,was jam packed with many fun, exciting, and educational lessons. To start the day, we woke up to a crisp breeze and a welcoming sunlight. We took the bus down the road to Sacred Hearts, where we heard about the challenges and struggles of those searching for a new life in America, but who are not welcomed by some leaders and politicians here in the United states. This was a very interesting and eye opening presentation from Father Garcia, and we were all very moved by this lecture. Then we headed over to hear from an organization called La Mujer Obrera, which is a group made up of mostly women who are trying to change the situation in El Paso and along the border in an eco-friendly way. Later on in the day, we were able to ask a border patrol officer about his job and any questions we had about how the border situation works. As we hopped in the van to keep our overflowing day going, we headed over to New Mexico State University to hear from a. professor about the reasons and causes for discrimination at borders in the world today. We took a scenic route to view the city of Juarez and El Paso from above, and as we sat in the van on the drive home making conversation with one another, I reflected on my time here so far and how excited I am to continue learning and meeting new people in the coming days. 

The pastor taught us that there are modern prophets all around us, as well as what it means to be a prophet in 2025. We learned that a prophet is someone who is a well rounded person who sees what is best for the world, along with a strong sense of self. We learned that anyone can talk about doing good things for others and talk about helping their community, but if there is no action, it’s pointless and useless. We heard that God wants us to go out and do good in our own community and lives. God calls us to take action and to “not mistreat or oppress a foreigner.” This is extremely relevant for what we are seeing on this trip so far and later when we get home. God calls us all to love the foreigners among us because we are all immigrants in God's world. This made us wonder why and how the United States can say we are under God even though we do such evil things to foreigners and/or migrants in our own country. The quote from James 2:14-17, “Faith is dead if you don’t help,”  resonated with me at this time because we see a lot of people wanting change but they don't want to put their own effort in to help the greater community at large. We learned a simple three step plan for us in the future during this presentation: to start, we should open our eyes to the bigger picture of the world and not just the world we personally live in on a day to day basis, and see the real hardships of the people from all over America and the world. After you see the world in its true colors and the pain people go through for things we take for granted, we should follow by reflecting on how it makes us feel overall. After this time, reflect on the most important step, which is to take actions by telling others about what you learned, denouncing injustices, and contributing to a positive change in the world. This is obviously easier said than done, but is a good place to start. 

La mujer obrera is an organization that, as their mission states, “is to develop and use our creative capacity to express the dignity and diversity of our Mexican heritage, from indigenous Mesoamerican roots to contemporary expressions, and to develop and celebrate our community through economic development, community building, community health and civic engagement.” They help create a welcoming and inclusive environment for many immigrants and asylum seekers by offering community gardens, daycares, coffee shops, and low-income housing. They also provide legal services to help immigrants navigate the complex systems they face and advocate for policies that support their rights. By offering these resources, La Mujer Obrera ensures that people are not only surviving but thriving in their new communities. Their work demonstrates how a community can come together to support its members, especially those who have been marginalized or oppressed.

In our last meeting, we had the honor to listen to a professor who teaches at New Mexico State University. He taught us about the history of the wall and why it exists, along with the political aspect that it holds. I personally found this lecture to be interesting and it painted a full picture of what we are seeing now as we have been settling in. We learned about the train route that went from Mexico City to Santa Fe and how this was a major success for the country, as it ran in operation for 300 years. However, in 1680, this all came crashing down because of the Pueblo Revolt where the tribes combined to rebel against the Spaniards that were located in the southern part of the railroad, now modern day Mexico. This rebellion started a huge domino effect for the future of Mexico and the United States. It was interesting how within a period of 50 years, the English forced the Mexicans to change the way they thought, but then Mexico gained independence and the mindset shifted again, then the Texas revolution happened and, once more, people had to change their beliefs and the way they lived their life. After all this change and challenges, the US annexed Texas for forcing people to speak English and be Catholic. This was not just forced but the Texan government and leader, but implied with violence if there was any sort of pushback whatsoever. This was very harmful for the people that were affected by these rules and changes and there is still a rippling effect today. The professor posed us with the question, “how has your mind been shaped and why?” It got us all thinking about how we think of the people trying to cross the border purely  as immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, when we should see them at first glance as our brothers and sisters. This NMSU professor taught us that there has always been racist laws in the United States, such as the John- Reed act. This was an act that limited who could and couldn’t come to the United States and from what countries they were allowed to come from. The law basically made it so only the white people from a few European countries were allowed to come to the United States. These types of laws “are efforts to influence our mind so that we don’t see a full person just race.”

Today’s experiences have truly changed the way I see the issues surrounding the border and immigration. Before this trip, we didn’t fully understand the deep challenge immigrants face, especially the emotional and physical toll it takes to seek a better life. The presentation made us realize how much politics and fear shaped away migrants are treated, and it pushed us all to think about how we can do better. We were also moved by the work of La Mujer Obrera and how they empower immigrants by offering resources to help them thrive, not just survive while dealing with a bad life. This has made us recognize that the solution isn’t just sympathizing for them, but taking action to ensure these immigrants are treated the right way and as humans, just like us. We also felt more connected today as a group because we got to go through all of these experiences together and talk about it amongst ourselves thinking about ways we could help as a bigger community at large. 

We will carry the experiences of today with me not only during the rest of the week here in El Paso, but throughout my daily life in the future. We will work to share my experiences and my newly acquired knowledge with my community at La Salle, along with those in our family’s and friend groups. I hope that others can learn how hard it is for immigrants all over the country to find a place to truly call home, and how hard these people work to find a better life for their families. In conclusion, today’s experiences have deepened our understanding of the challenges faced by immigrants and have inspired me to take action in my own life, advocating for compassion and change in my community and beyond.