Cantu offers a perspective of the borderlands that is unique in the fact that although he is a U.S. citizen he is still of Mexican heritage. Cantu published his book The Line Becomes A River not with the intention of influencing anyone’s political thoughts but more from a place of experience. Cantu writes about his time as a border patrol agent and how that impacted the way he viewed not only his own life but also the lives of those trying to cross the border into the U.S. What is most striking about Cantu’s book is that he in no way tries to influence the reader to see the information for more than what it is, simply his experience as a border patrol agent.
We are all well-aware of our current political climate in the U.S. regarding the status of illegal immigrants into the U.S. The mounting tension between those on the U.S. side of the border and those on the Mexican side of the border is probably at an all-time high due to our current president who seems hell bent on building a wall between the two countries (that already exists). This memoir by Cantu shows readers how opinions and attitudes, by both Americans and Mexicans, is not a one size fits all. Cantu worked with other border patrol agents that commonly referred to Mexicans as “wetbacks” and Cantu never once spoke about being offended even though he is of Mexican heritage. What really surprised me about his book is the fact that there appears to be numerous agents that work for the border patrol.
Cantu sets his memoir apart from others in that he includes a brief chronological history of the formation of the physical border in his book. That in its self serves as a guide to understanding why the border has become so important to both countries. Cantu simply includes facts about the original border monuments as they were set and remarked over the years as well as why they became so significant. Cantu admits openly in this book that his short stint as a border patrol agent changed him and I really felt as though he regretted those four years.
Cantu gives various accounts of reasons why the people he helped arrest and deport had come to the U.S. illegally, most just came looking for work or to escape violence and others admitted they were looking to sell drugs in the U.S. I was slightly disappointed that Cantu did not include more information about the separation of families or the Mexican government’s stance on immigration as it would have helped the reader to better understand the issues we face today. Cantu never describes the border wall itself even though he was stationed right next to it.
The real limitation I see to this type of book written as a memoir is that many statistics are left out. For example, how many immigrants are arrested for human trafficking or drug possession? However, the personal perspective is clearly set forth in a memoir like this and has a human value that should not be overlooked.
AmyHist516 