I have always been the kind of person that follows the news because I place value in being informed about what is going on in the world around me. While I prefer focus on the national news (our local news is pitiful), I do watch my local news and read the paper to see the things that directly affect me. While most people have focused all of their attention on that Washington Post journalist who was hacked to pieces and then snuck out of the Turkish Embassy in piece on the order of the Saudi Crown Prince, my attention has been squarely focused on another issue. I have been obsessed with following the story of the migrant caravan that left Honduras last week. They are headed for Tijuana. Their end goal is to head to the United States to request asylum.
You might be asking why I am so interested in this. The answer is quite simple. We are just starting a new unit in my world geography class. This is our population geography unit and it includes, you guessed it, migration. This unit covers migration, asylum, push-pull immigration factors, population density, and population control. To put it quite simply, a global event that is currently happening can help teach my students about 3 quarters of the major themes in our population geography unit. So when my students roll their eyes and ask “when are we ever going to use this?!” I can confidently and excitedly, and nerdily exclaim “RIGHT NOW!”
I have been doing my research and now I plan on introducing this story to my students on Tuesday of this coming week. We will map and track their progress as they move through Mexico. We will research why they are leaving, why they are coming to the US, what asylum is, and a myriad of other issues that this humanitarian issue hits on. Hopefully my students will be interested in what is going on. I have a very large hispanic population which I have heard speaking about it class when I have covered some of the population vocabulary, but I do hope my non-hispanic students take an interest as well. We shall see.
Usually when I bring real world current events into class my students ask me what I think about the issue. I try VERY hard to not let my own political views influence the way I teach. The only “issue” so far that I have given my personal views on to my students has been the Bansky Painting that was shredded after it was bought for two million dollars. My students, to put it in the exact words of one class, thought it was “dumb as hell” for anyone to pay that much for art, but funny that it happened after the man bought it and still has to pay for it. I won’t tell you what they said, when I said it was probably worth more shredded than it was before. When they asked me I told them my opinion (as a follower of banksy for years, I loved it and thought it was typical and genius and right in line with his previous work). So far that’s it this year.
I hope my students ask me what I think should be done with this migrant caravan. Because this time I am going to tell my students what I think. I am going to tell them they are free to disagree with me, just like I disagree with the notion that anyone named lil’ yachty or lil’ uzi can put out any music that is worthy to listen to as long as the disagree respectfully. That is how we do things in my classroom. I want to tell them how I feel because I want to tell them the story of how a country song helped me make up my mind. The look on their face is going to be priceless. My students hate country. Especially twangy country. SO without further ado, please enjoy the country song that helped make up my mind. Then I will tell you how I feel.
I was listening to a radio station I don’t normally listen to when this song from 1996 came on the radio. Originally sung by Collin Raye, the song never was a huge hit, but I have always loved it. When I got to my destination after that commute in my car, the first post I saw on my Facebook feed was related to the migrant caravan. Instantly I thought of the song. It didn’t change my mind. I already believed the current administration is adding their handling of this situation to the long list of disaster that history will judge us by. When my students ask me my opinion I am going to tell them the facts first.
- There are about 3,500 adults (Mexican Government) and about 2,300 children (UNICEF) traveling in the caravan.
- The caravan from start to finish will be done primarily by walking the 2,725 mile journey (Google Maps) from start to finish.
- Most plan on applying for asylum in the United States, but Mexico has already received asylum applications from 1,500 people or families (Mexican Government).
- The majority of the people in the caravan are ethnically Honduran, Guatemalan, Nicaraguan, and Salvadorian.
- The World Bank Estimates all of the following statistics:
After I help my students gather and process the facts I am going to have them break up in groups and come up with proposals as to what they think our government should do. I am potentially thinking about the possibility of having my students write letters to the editor of The Greenville News on this topic. When I am done covering this issue with my students, I hope one of them asks me what I think. Because then I am going to tell them. And this is what I am going to tell my students:
I am going to tell my students that I don’t have a perfect answer or solution and I am not sure if we should take any of these people. There are many issues that come with this. I think we should run background checks on these people to see if they pose any threat to America and if they do pose a threat they should not be let in. This could also cause a big issue by causing more people to join caravans if they see us let these people in. This is not an easy issue with a quick fix. This is an issue that has been years in the making. While I would normally stop there with my students, that country song has made me realize I am going to push forward.
I am going to tell my students I think it is a national disgrace when our President uses racist, xenophobic, and hateful language when describing the caravan.
I am going to tell my students that our President of the United States is being a bully when he threatens to cut off foreign aid to the countries the migrants are walking through if they do not stop the caravan.
I am going to tell my students that it violates every international treaty the US has signed and is ILLEGAL to not allow people to apply for asylum or to decide to reject a person’s asylum application before they can apply.
I am going to tell my students that the nation that claims to be the greatest and strongest nation on Earth does not turn its back on a humanitarian crisis it could easily solve on its own or sit down with other nations to figure out a solution.
I am going to tell my students that I will never tell people (who pose our country no risk and who are willing to work and be productive members of our society) who put their lives in mortal danger to flea worse mortal danger that they are not welcome here.
I am going to tell my students that it is shameful that a country like Mexico, where 10% of their population lives on $1.90 a day, has opened their homes and kitchens to the caravan as it passes through its cities and has already offered temporary work visas to many of the migrants while our country has turned a blind eye and sent troops to the southern border.
Last, but certainly not least, I am going to tell my students to think about what they learned in Sunday School and have read in their Bibles. I am going to show my students the picture below and I am going to ask, What if Jesus Comes back like that?
More Picture of the Caravan are below. These people are risking their lives with nothing more than the shirts on their backs to escape hell. We can and must do better. The whole world is watching, but more importantly, so is Jesus.