Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Mexican Border, Violence and Death


From Deborah Bonello, at the LA Times's La Plaza blog, a description of the border between the U.S. and Mexico at Tijuana. A huge drug war is being played out right now, with hundreds of bodies truning up along the border, from Tijuana to Ciudad Juarez. At the same time, thousands of illegal immigrants still cross the border, most of them making it to the States, but others being intercepted by the Border Patrol, and others not making it alive. Crosses are strung along the border fence in memoriam:

Luciano Limon Sanchez from Sinaloa. Onesino Salazar Cruz from Oaxaca. Maria Isabel de la Cruz. Some simply said "inidentificado." Unidentified.


I think it's important to remember, no matter your position on the immigration problem from Mexico, that real lives are affected--or destroyed--because of our ambivalent relationship with our neighbor to the south. Throughout my many years in the restaurant industry in New York City, I've know many illegals who made the journey every year. I wonder if they still make it, and whether one of their names will ever be etched onto a cross on that wall.

1 comment:

Tom & Spencer said...

http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Bizarre_Foods/ci.Bolivia.show?vgnextfmt=show

Matt,
The TV program Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern was filmed in Bolivia this week. I'm sure you've seen the program with Zimmern eating some of the most disgusting things you can imagine. This week he has bull's penis soup, pigs feet, llama brains, and other goodies. He also visits a couple of restaurants you may wish to check out.
Love, Dad