Tucson, Spring 2020 ~ Read
Against the backdrop of national politics, the realization that the US-Mexico border is so close never escapes you when traveling to Tucson. The work part of my tript included a visit to Fort Huachuca, where locals talked about border proximity, and various enhancements, weaponry and mechanisms of border protection. A quick border patrol inspection stop on the highway back to Tucson provided a real life example of the ever present vigilance.
In Tucson, a less militaristic contrast emerged, with lawn signs and graffiti appealing to the humanitarian disaster the dangerous illegal border crossings create in this region, with water jugs being the most prominent symbol of lifeline and hope.
The book does an excellent job of creating a comprehensive portrait of the disaster of the Yuma 14 that happened in AZ in 2001. It is heart-wrenching, human, and desperate, as no solution exists 20 years later; and men and women fleeing gang violence, poverty and lack of opportunity, continue to die agonizing deaths in the desert.
The most heart-pounding pages I have read in my life are the few Urrea uses to describe the stages of death from a heat stroke. If one cannot agree that the US/Mexico border situation is at least an ongoing humanitarian crisis after reading these passages, then no hope can be found to solve this nightmare.
I have been a fan of Barbara Kingsolver’s prose ever since The Poisonwood Bible, and I really enjoyed The Bean Trees. The story describes an unlikely but blossoming motherhood, that mostly unfolds in the center of Tucson. The book also focuses on illegal immigration, therefore both juxtaposing and weaving together concepts of families as we know them, and the larger human family we all belong to.
I wouldn’t say that this book provides enough background on Tucson itself, as it is mostly character driven, there are however a few well-written scenes that give a sense of the area.
