Why NPR's Steve Inskeep Says the U.S.-Mexico Border Is "Amazing"
Listeners of NPR know Steve Inskeep
from Morning Edition, which he anchors with Renée Montagne. But
recently Inskeep, who has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan
(for his book Instant City: Life and Death in Karachi), drove 2,428 miles along the U.S.-Mexico border to learn what's really happening there and create a series of reports called Borderland
that will be heard on public radio stations across the country through
March 28. We spoke to him from Denver, Colorado, just after he'd wrapped
his 16-day trip.
Where exactly did you drive?
The border itself is about 1,900 miles, maybe a little more. We drove 2428 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the border crossing at Tijuana when we crossed back into the United States. We zigzagged across the border. I counted 22 different border crossings for me; my colleagues sometimes broke off and did different things so their numbers are a little different but mine was 22. And it took us about two weeks and two days.
What did you discover?
First, the scenery is awesome! I mean, it's amazing. I think about things like the Rumorosa, this highway from Mexicali, Mexico to Tijuana that goes up over these dead, desert mountains, these incredible rocky mountains, and we went over them at that magic hour at the end of the day. They were spectacular!
The desert is amazing to see, and the other thing—and we kind of knew this going in—but there's a lot of fear about crossing the border, even among many people who live immediately north of the border. But the situation in Northern Mexico is just different than it used to be. If you were crossing the border in 2010, in certain areas, that would be very creepy. Going into Juarez where there were 3,000 homicides in a year? But the murder rate has gone way down there. There's still a lot of crime, but things are calmer. You don't feel like you're going into a war zone. You feel like you're going into a big city—and it's a really interesting city.
Where exactly did you drive?
The border itself is about 1,900 miles, maybe a little more. We drove 2428 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the border crossing at Tijuana when we crossed back into the United States. We zigzagged across the border. I counted 22 different border crossings for me; my colleagues sometimes broke off and did different things so their numbers are a little different but mine was 22. And it took us about two weeks and two days.
What did you discover?
First, the scenery is awesome! I mean, it's amazing. I think about things like the Rumorosa, this highway from Mexicali, Mexico to Tijuana that goes up over these dead, desert mountains, these incredible rocky mountains, and we went over them at that magic hour at the end of the day. They were spectacular!
The desert is amazing to see, and the other thing—and we kind of knew this going in—but there's a lot of fear about crossing the border, even among many people who live immediately north of the border. But the situation in Northern Mexico is just different than it used to be. If you were crossing the border in 2010, in certain areas, that would be very creepy. Going into Juarez where there were 3,000 homicides in a year? But the murder rate has gone way down there. There's still a lot of crime, but things are calmer. You don't feel like you're going into a war zone. You feel like you're going into a big city—and it's a really interesting city.
Nishant Dahiya at the start of their Borderland journey in
Boca Chica, Texas where the Rio Grande spills into the
Gulf of Mexico.
The subsiding of the violence gives you a chance as a journalist
to see so many other things that are going on, having to do with
immigration, having to do with trade, having to do with culture. We did
this whole series of stories, and we're trying to make every story about
a crossing, something that crosses from one country to the other,
whether its a person or a group of people or goods or ideas or culture
or music. I'd like to think—and you'll tell me if we succeed after you
hear the stories—that we get at the way that these two huge countries
influence each other and push and pull against each other and yank each
other toward the future.
Many of us have a preconception of what it's like on the border. Were you surprised by what you found there?
I suspected that it was going to be a fuller and richer story than it seems from the outside. At first, you're tempted as a traveler not even to go there because you think you know the story: immigration, illegal immigration, drugs, so forth. Those are big stories. But when you get down into the specifics of individual stories, those tales are really amazing and really gripping, at least to me. I had an instinct that would be the case, which is why I went, but I didn't know what the details were going to be. It's the kind of place, the Borderland, that to me is a little like going to Syria or going to Pakistan. I don't mean it's nearly as dangerous—it's not nearly as dangerous—but what I mean is that you say hello to someone and the first word out of their mouth is the beginning of an incredible story.
Many of us have a preconception of what it's like on the border. Were you surprised by what you found there?
I suspected that it was going to be a fuller and richer story than it seems from the outside. At first, you're tempted as a traveler not even to go there because you think you know the story: immigration, illegal immigration, drugs, so forth. Those are big stories. But when you get down into the specifics of individual stories, those tales are really amazing and really gripping, at least to me. I had an instinct that would be the case, which is why I went, but I didn't know what the details were going to be. It's the kind of place, the Borderland, that to me is a little like going to Syria or going to Pakistan. I don't mean it's nearly as dangerous—it's not nearly as dangerous—but what I mean is that you say hello to someone and the first word out of their mouth is the beginning of an incredible story.
the border from Matamoros, Mexico to Brownsville, Texas.
The border fence at Hidalgo, Texas. A view of the fence in
Brownsville, Texas, seen through the back of a car window.
And the fence again at Hidalgo.
Taylor Liggines (3rd period)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this article. It was very interesting! I liked the fact that he said Mexico is nothing like what most people think. It made me feel really good to know that I don't have to worry when I finally fulfill my dream of going to Mexico. This story relates to my life because I always hear people say "You don't want to go to Mexico. Too many bad things happen down there." For instace the murders that occured in Juarez. I'm happy that he reassured my feelings toward those comments!
Rebeca Gonzalez 7th period.
ReplyDeletePersonally I enjoyed this article because it's giving a different look towards the whole border issue. People should know that there's more to Mexico than just being a bad place as many people say or complain about, even though half of them just heard of some rumors and others never even been there..Either way It's good to be reassured how things are down there and how beautiful Mexico really is.
I never really thought Mexico was a bad place. I've heard misconceptions about it, but for me I've always wanted to go there. I've always wanted to go there because it seems like a really beautiful place. Also, Mexico has a history that invloves the United States and that's good to know. - Jeralin Banyon 7th period
ReplyDeletekind of interesting ... i liked this article but is mexico really a bad place , i didn't know that ! i have a lot of Mexican friends and they didn't say anything about it !! but i think that everybody evaluate countries about what people do not how it is beautiful
ReplyDeletehana abdelraouf , 2nd period
I think writing a report on the U.S. - Mexico border is a good idea. Hopefully, the Borderline will provide information that will be helpful to the US Government. According Steve InsKeep, "The scenery is awesome." Even though the area is beautiful, it causes fear in people that are crossing it. In 2010, there were 3,000 homicides in Juarez. That number is scary to me. InsKeep seems to think things are calmer now. I don't think I would like to visit there as a tourist. This seems like an interesting place for a Journalist to visit. It seems to me that people are willing to risk their lives to cross the border. In their minds, I'm sure they are thinking the rewards of making it across the border, outweighs the dangers.
ReplyDelete