Neighborhood
Critical Analysis
Based on the visual above, identify the countries that border the U.S.
Based on the visual above, what country do you live closest to?
The border between the United States of America (U.S.A.) and the United States of Mexico (Estados Unidos de Mexico) stretches 3,145 kilometers (1,954 miles), from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and is the longest land border between countries of such unequal wealth. What is one political consequence of this border in the United States of America?
Some would claim that while borders might matter politically, they are not that important, because culture and economics flow right past them. Did you know that salsa is more popular than ketchup in the US? Make a claim about the importance of Americas borders.
A student pointed out that people who live in Northern Virginia are allowed to travel to work and visit or even move in to D.C. or Maryland or any other neighboring state. What would happen if we allowed for the free crossing of our national borders?
Although the 13 original colonies were quite different from each other, the immigrant population (the colonists, as opposed to the native and enslaved people) mostly they shared a common language, religion (Christian) and cultures (European). If each of the 13 original colonies had completely different cultures and languages do you think we would have united, and do you think we will eventually unite with Mexico and Canada?
Personally, I’m very concerned about Kiribati, our nearest neighbor to the far southwest. Whatever your philosophy on immigration, the visual below* shows that the number of encounters at the border between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and immigrants trying to enter the U.S. is increasing dramatically. Geo-political factors make it seem unlikely that these numbers will fall any time soon. How do you think increasing immigration (legal and illegal) will impact American politics in the future?
President Biden’s move to limit immigration has been widely condemned by advocates and human rights organizations for restricting the universal right to claim asylum. In fact, many critics complain that Biden’s border policy (despite his campaign promises to the contrary) has been similar to Donald Trump’s. What cultural, economic, and political, forces are making their border policies so similar?
If you were president, what would your immigration policy be?
Our country currently has a worker shortage. Imagine Joe Biden allowed for more legal immigration into the U.S. Make a claim about how a new policy allowing for more legal immigration would impact employment, illegal immigration, and American politics.
Learning Extension
Listen to the NPR story below comparing Biden’s border policy to Trump’s.
Action Extension
Contact the White House and let POTUS Biden know what you think about his administration’s immigration policy.
Visual Extension*
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