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Mikey B.'s Reviews > The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border
The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border
by
by
A very eloquently and moving book of a man who initially worked for the U.S. Border Patrol in New Mexico and then Texas.
He has studied law and international relations and wanted to participate in the practical applications of what he had studied. His mother warned him, prior to joining, that any institution (like the U.S. Border Patrol) would come to contaminate his life – to slowly take over. It is a rare thing indeed to change an institution from within. He begins to realize this as the job makes him come to accept as “normal” behavior that he would not otherwise condone – some of this bad behavior is from his colleagues and some from himself. He is starting to step over a precipice – and fortunately is becoming more and more aware of it.
He leaves the U.S. Border Patrol in order to save himself and to live with himself.
The last part of the book, when he becomes friends with a migrant worker, is most touching. The author comes to experience through this friend and his family the consequences of what he was doing with the U.S. Border Patrol.
This book is a very personal and emotional description of the migrant experience at the Mexico – U.S. border. In an era when the media tends to de-personalize the migrant experience through euphemisms this story does the opposite. And it uniquely looks at it from someone who participated in the enforcement process.
He has studied law and international relations and wanted to participate in the practical applications of what he had studied. His mother warned him, prior to joining, that any institution (like the U.S. Border Patrol) would come to contaminate his life – to slowly take over. It is a rare thing indeed to change an institution from within. He begins to realize this as the job makes him come to accept as “normal” behavior that he would not otherwise condone – some of this bad behavior is from his colleagues and some from himself. He is starting to step over a precipice – and fortunately is becoming more and more aware of it.
He leaves the U.S. Border Patrol in order to save himself and to live with himself.
The last part of the book, when he becomes friends with a migrant worker, is most touching. The author comes to experience through this friend and his family the consequences of what he was doing with the U.S. Border Patrol.
This book is a very personal and emotional description of the migrant experience at the Mexico – U.S. border. In an era when the media tends to de-personalize the migrant experience through euphemisms this story does the opposite. And it uniquely looks at it from someone who participated in the enforcement process.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
January, 2020
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Finished Reading
January 29, 2020
– Shelved
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I agree with you about jobs and concrete!! I was a teacher at one time in my life - and it certainly wasn't meant for me!! And that would be a lot easier than other jobs. I remember once looking into working at government prisons - but then thought better of it!!There are over 10 million illegal migrants in the U.S. from what I understand - so it wouldn't be that difficult find one! He had been living in the U.S. for over 20 years - and had children born there.
How incredible that the author went on to befriend a migrant worker, and presumably got to see the other side of the work he'd been doing.