Standing Tall at the Edge of America
Although raised by her single mom and grandparents, Aria never felt like she had it that tough. Her mom raised her to be a strong, independent and driven woman, balanced by her grandmother's efforts to teach her more conservative values of going to church, having manners and being a lady. Her grandmother and mother's efforts to teach her those values were largely effortless, though, which made both of them ideal role models in Aria's mind. While her father was out of the picture, she looked to her grandfather, a kind and resolute gentleman, as her primary father figure.
“My mom worked so hard, and taught me to do the same. My grandfather set such an example of how women should be respected, to not let anyone underestimate you, and I think that largely came from having an absent father. I was very lucky to have amazing role models in my life, and never had to struggle all that much.”
The one minor point of tension in her family, however, has been politics. Both very religious, Aria's conservative-minded grandparents hold a differing world-view than her mother, whom Aria described as staunchly feminist and progressive. While the three never fought over their political beliefs, Aria felt the tug of the different outlooks growing up.
“I’ve seen the split in my family, and it’s made me kind of uneasy. My grandparents think the biggest issue is the lack of respect for life, whereas if you ask me, it’s a lack of respect for women, and more generally, a lack of respect for each other. Also, my grandfather is in favor of the wall and I can’t wrap my head around it. We already have a physical barrier between us and Mexico, so there’s no need for a wall. I think it’s a policy fueled by racism and bigotry more than anything.”
Aria believes that the idea of building a wall is inbred in xenophobia, but does not necessarily think that everyone who supports building it are racists. Her grandfather, she believes, is one of those people.
“I think my grandfather buys into a lot of the rhetoric on Mexico, on how they send their worst, the whole ‘bad hombres’ thing. He’s not a hateful man or a bad person. He just buys into that rhetoric from the people he talks to and the news that he consumes.”
When asked how she came to her own opinion on the wall, Aria said that she did not take the issue seriously until Donald Trump became elected. Recently, cement and construction companies on both sides of the border have already indicated interest in obtaining the government contracts for the project, making the issue all too real in her hometown of El Paso. While she's critical of a wall, Aria is not opposed to other solutions to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants into the United States.
“There’s this whole notion that if you funnel money into border patrol, customs, surveillance and immigration, we can better know who is coming in and out of our country. If the issue really was logistical and security-focused, then we would really just adopt more realistic policies. I think people are scared of people they don’t really know, and that’s why they want a physical wall. This whole notion of a wall is so childish, in my opinion.”
It was interesting that Aria offered some possible alternative solutions to the issue of illegal immigration, contrary to some conservatives' belief that those against the wall are only in favor of "open borders" or "amnesty." Aria understands her fellow Americans' concerns about immigration, but simply believes that those concerns are more rooted in fear or xenophobia as opposed to a genuine concern about security.
“Juarez is our sister city. Those people that cross the border and come to El Paso everyday are just as much our people as we are theirs. Everyone is so friendly with each other. People call you “mijo” or “mija,” even when we might be complete strangers. But now, with the 2016 election, El Paso has become a focal point and that bubble has been shattered. It’s just wild to see that people who were living harmoniously aren’t anymore.”
While grounded in her progressive mindset, Aria's respect for people with other views comes in part from also being brought up by her conservative grandparents. That's partly why she understands why some Americans are afraid of foreigners, particularly of Muslims.
“I think we’ve become much more paranoid, much more scared of what we don’t know. I can understand that fearfulness and where that comes from. But I hate that slogan, “Make America Great Again.” Lawyers going to airports to help folks come into this country. That makes America great. We didn’t need these insane policies of this current administration to do that.”
Despite the fear, the xenophobia, the hateful rhetoric and this current administration, Aria says she is still proud to be an American. She sees the upside to the American experience, even though we have a lot of baggage that we have to carry with us.
“People are still fighting tooth and nail to be here. I’m flattered that despite that what’s going on in America right now, people still want to be here. That makes me proud to be American. I’m happy to be here and speak out against all the stuff that is going on, because not everyone has that right. It’s kind of a double-edged sword: yeah we have our issues, but we also have the ability to do something about those issues.”
Aria studies chemistry at the University of Texas El Paso. From the school's football stadium, you can see the tall, black border fence that separates the United States and Mexico, El Paso from Juarez — a constant reminder of the larger immigration issues that are playing out across the country. Aria hopes to use her degree in chemistry to become a science teacher, so she can help provide her future students the mentorship and opportunities that she had growing up. It's something that she believes is integral to her definition of the American Dream.
“The most quintessential American Dream there is coming to this country and doing what you want to do: be a performer, business owner, doctor, lawyer, scientist, and know that you can be free. Of course nothing comes easy, and part of the American Dream is struggling a little bit. But the American Dream means being free without being judged or constrained. It means us as society accepting each other for who we are, supporting each other as we pursue our dreams. That’s the American dream.”
An opening in the U.S.-Mexican Border fence in between El Paso and Juarez
