Borders

I have long been critical of this country’s foreign policy and its appetite for war, and while I am not alone in this regard, it is obvious that people of color have unique reasons for their lack of patriotism that go beyond that. When I decided to write “Borders”, I did so knowing how important it was to discuss Mexican American history in the Southwest. We are mostly unaware of the Mexican Repatriation of the 1930’s, where millions of us were deported whether we were born here or not. The same goes for the Mexican lynchings dating back to the 19th century, as most Americans have come to associate the word lynching solely with the Black community. Unfortunately we have become disconnected from our generational trauma, leading to the perception that America’s anti-Mexican sentiment began the day Trump made his infamous speech about us. Without knowing our people’s history, we fail to make the connection to today’s racism and xenophobia.

While I wrote this film through my Chicano viewpoint, I still maintain that “Borders” is for every American of color who’s never truly “felt” American. It is about our occasional hesitance to call ourselves American, or to refer to this land as our actual home, despite our history and willingness to give so much back to it. Ultimately I felt that the best way to have this conversation was through those who - according to the most nationalistic standards - give the most back to this country: military veterans. The group of people even the strongest conservatives claim to support unconditionally. If even they cannot find acceptance, what chance do the rest of us have?