EVER SINCE the first émigré quietly bypassed the US’s Custom and Border Control, the perpetually heated debate of illegal immigration has spawned some original solutions. A separation barrier was proposed in 2005 by Republican U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter, and in 2006 Congress passed the Secure Fence Act, signed into law by President Bush. Currently, the Texas Border Fence consists of over 580 miles of fence. During the 1990s, United States Army personnel were temporarily employed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and smugglers. Some suggest the return of a military presence to the border, as well as a more robust, active Border Patrol- one whom would use their weapons to definitively end an illegal’s attempts to cross the border. After becoming habituated to calls for increased force, it is then music to the ears to hear the US Border Control’s latest tactic: Soulful Spanish ballads recounting the perils of trying to cross illegally from Mexico to the US are being freely distributed to radio stations in Northern Mexico. This reinvigorating approach to border control touches the heart of illegal immigration much more than its other initiatives, and also infuses the system with a more diplomatic societal role.
The campaign is called “No more crosses on the border,” a name which references both illegal crossings, and those who have lost their lives in an attempted crossing. The campaign garners strength from its implementation method and intended audience, addressing all northern Mexicans before they’ve even considered trying to illegally enter the US. The songs also translate an American political message through the common language of music, in this instance a traditional Mexican musical style known as “corridos.” These popular narrative ballads have themes that range from love to war. While it’s easy to imagine that a government sponsored musical initiative could only result in a cacophonous catastrophe with a thinly veiled moralistic message, the songs are actually entertaining. The compilation is tragic, and tells stories of abuse, death, and rape as immigrants head off on the perilous journey. Yet the Spanish guitar, lively accordion, and impassioned singers make the sentimental and ethically embellished narratives digestible and even enjoyable. In one, called The Biggest Enemy, a singer named Abelarardo, from the Mexican state of Michoacan, goes with his cousin, Rafael, to attempt to cross the border. Though they successfully reach the US, they are ultimately defeated by nature. Exhausted, and severely dehydrated, they lie down in the desert to rest. Only Abelardo wakes up. Upon finding his cousin dead, “”He decided to come back / And have a burial in their town/ And as a vow / He told his dead cousin/ If God will take my life / That it be in my beloved land.” Despite the somber lyrics, the music is harmonious, and is gaining popularity. The songs were released from Elevacion, a Hispanic advertising agency based in Washington. Elevacion’s president, Jimmy Learned, says that the radio stations have been receiving great feedback on the songs. “People started to call the stations, to ask for the songs …interested in finding out who are the singers or the band. I even think that one of the songs was nominated for an award in Mexico,” he told BBC.
Political aspects of illegal immigration aside, this initiative also spreads practical awareness to an appropriate target audience about a widespread societal problem. Crossing the border is extremely dangerous. In 2008, there were 398 known deaths, with exposure, including heat stroke, dehydration and hypothermia, the leading cause. Other dangers include drowning, border patrol killings, and perhaps the most lethal of all, immigrant smugglers known as coyotes. The latter are infamous for their cruelty, and often treat their clients as nothing more than ‘human cargo,’ subjecting them to rape, beatings and other inhumane treatment.
Presently, the effectiveness of this cd is unknown. The rate of illegal immigration is down from previous years, due to the economic slump, increased border agents and improved technology. Yet the government’s uses of peaceful art in opposition to more aggressive tactics already spell success. Fence building and armed men are meant to deter beasts, not humans, and these demeaning tactics pit our limited resources against human spirit. With song, the government is finally addressing potential illegals with a cultured, humanist approach, designed to appeal to their intellect rather than attempting to physically banish them as beasts. In Robert Frost’s “The Mending Wall,” a neighbor comments that, “Good fences make good neighbors.” Fenceless friendly nations make even better ones.
Kendra Kirk is a Viewpoint Writer for The Cavalier Daily.
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