Originally Posted: February 21, 2017
On Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, Dr. Eric Meeks, historian and current Clements Senior Fellow for the Study of Southwestern America, part of Southern Methodist University’s Clements Center for Southwest Studies, spoke about the history of the U.S.-Mexico border, as it relates to the current national debates surrounding the U.S. border and immigration.
“With the election of Trump, the border has become front page news every day,” Meeks said.
The lecture took place in McCord Auditorium in Dallas Hall where the estimated 120 audience was mostly locals, instead of students. The outreach into the Dallas community shows how central this topic has recently become. Eliana Miranda, a Dallas-based painter, centrals her work around immigration.
“I paint about the border issue, these types of lectures help me gain perspective on these issues,” Miranda said.
Meeks’ theories that he shared from his developing manuscript entitled, “The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands: A Transnational History,” said the border has been a national problem for much longer than the recent election.
“There were 7,000 fatalities in the last 20 years crossing the border,” Meeks said. “Constant discussions about should we have immigration reform and shouldn’t we, I think the border has been an enormous issue for many years.”
Meeks spoke about the changing policies through the 18th century to present day. While the policies have changed, the controversies have not. The fears that accompany border policies can be global.
“Economic integrations has fueled transport in migration, which in turn has fed rising fears about national security, economic stability, and cultural fragmentation,” Meeks said.
While controversy surrounds immigration, it is important to make the distinction between present circumstances and the impossible retreat from global trade.
“I call this a border land, and not a bordered land which is fundamentally distinct,” Meeks said. “People, goods, and capital continue to cross with or without legal sanction every day.”