JE#8 Murder, Misogyny, and U.S. Immigration Policy

I had heard about the women of Juarez through my old Chicana/o Studies professor, Nadine Bermudez. We watched films about the maquiladoras. At the time, I was still coming to terms with my identity, culture and awareness. I did not do research after the class in order to learn more, which is something I typically do when an issue interests me. I believe that La Profe, Entry Denied and Desert Blood raised my awareness in regards to the misogynistic murders of the young brown womyn along the El Paso/Juarez Border. In Chapter 5 of Entry Denied, Lubheid mentions the issue about rape and the border patrol. She specifically mentions about how to keep womyn out of the U.S. and how raping these mujeres creates or reproduces gender hierarchies. It was eye opening to read this, happening in a country I call home and in a country that my family calls home. In Desert Blood, what stood out to me was when the mujeres themselves were involved in this rape trade that is happening in Juarez. La Profe has provided enough material to raise my awareness about this inhuman behavior that is taking place along our borderlands. In bordertown, I was able to view how these murders are taking place and how neither side of the border is doing a thing about it. These mujeres working at the maquiladoras and those who cross the border have no choice but to do so because both countries are continually exploiting them. Like Ivon, I would like to take a trip to Juarez and learn more about what is going on there. It hit the heart more learning about this, this time around. Neither country is creating policies to protect these mujeres. Things like NAFTA piss me off, both countries depend on each other and these mujeres, and they need to protect them.