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Arrivals

General, Human Rights, Migrant Death, Snapshots
The Beyond Borders Team at the Indianapolis Airport
Indianapolis Airport

We made it! Our air travel shockingly went off without a hitch. Planes left and arrived on time. We made our connecting flight with ease. Some of us even managed to get some sleep on the planes. It was a little bit of a rush trying to make it to our very first meeting at the cemetery but we still managed to find the time to grab lunch at Whataburger. I had never been to one before so I was ready to see what all the hype was about. I’d say it met all my expectations. Overall our travel seemed to go so fast. It’s almost like I only blinked and we went from the airport in Indy to landing in San Antonio.

The Beyond Borders team in the Whataburger parking lot

After stopping at Whataburger near San Antonio we drove straight to the cemetery in Eagle Pass where we will be working for the next week. I got to meet Deputy Don White for the first time. I have heard so many amazing things from the rest of the team and I’m excited to get to speak to him more as the week goes on. I also got to meet Dr. Spradley as she showed us the cemetery and talked about the situation we will face this week. Being the rookie on the team is a little bit overwhelming. I prepared myself beforehand to focus on listening and learning because I am very aware of how little I know. I’m eager to learn more from my fellow team members. I have already learned so much and we haven’t even begun the excavation yet! 

The area of the cemetery with the migrant burials

Getting to see the cemetery was informative but also incredibly sobering. This is another first for me, I’ve never experienced death at this scale before outside of the news or lectures in a classroom. It’s hard to describe how it felt to stand in the middle of it all but the task ahead of us does feel slightly more daunting than it did before. Even though it’s, mentally difficult, I think it is essential to embrace strong emotions rather than push them aside. It is a powerful reminder of the human cost of the border crisis. If we forget that, a vital perspective is lost.

At the end of the day, we had the opportunity to discuss and plan for tomorrow, the first day of excavation. As we were talking, I couldn’t help but reflect upon how grateful I am for the team I have surrounding me. Despite some general uncertainty, they haven’t failed to find opportunities to laugh (whether it be about the long neck ducks aka “gooses” outside our hotel or just some lighthearted teasing). I’m still nervous but I feel ready to get started. I know it’s still early but my resolve is solid because I feel confident in our ability to do some good while we are here.

The area of the cemetery with the migrant burials

Kaitlyn

A New Year

General, Reflections, Snapshots
A New Year - 2023

The New Year means saying good bye to all that troubled us in the previous year and welcoming new beginnings for ourselves and our loved ones in the new year. We make resolutions aimed at making ourselves better, healthier, more successful or more economically stable. We dare to dream and hope for all the things we think will make us happy and safe.  We send blessings of peace, love and prosperity to our family and friends. But how far do those good tidings extend? Who is worthy of this peace, love and prosperity? These are common questions for people who work as first responders, last responders and in human rights contexts. While it is said that “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members” (Mahatma Gandhi), these professionals see the worst of what people do to each other. And yes, there are bright spots, glimmers of hope that restore faith in humanity. But shouldn’t it be the other way around? Shouldn’t the good outweigh the bad?

Jan 2023 Beyond Borders Team
Jan 2023 Beyond Borders Team

Each time we travel to the Texas Borderlands we highlight the amazing people we meet who are doing good and selfless things in the midst of humanitarian crisis and mass disaster contexts. But we have created a situation where we need these people. Issues of borders, migration, poverty and violence extend beyond recorded history. Yet, we have no solutions. If it were easy to fix it would have been addressed by now. Or perhaps we are just not approaching it the right way or with the right perspective. Part of why my team returns year after year is a practical and applied reason: to volunteer a specialty service that fills a need in the current crisis situation. Part of it is to expose the next generation to a situation they have a platform to address. The next generation sees the world differently than we do and I am continuously surprised by their innovative ideas and approaches to complex situations. They will be the change we see and we need.

Grave marker from Falfurrias, TX
Grave marker from Falfurrias, TX

During this trip we will be returning to cemetery exhumations for the first time since January 2019. We will be working closely with colleagues from Texas State University, Remote Wildlands Search and Recovery and the South Texas Human Rights Center. We will also be meeting new colleagues from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Exhumations are hard work physically and mentally because it will bring the team face to face with the victims of the border crisis. We will be in a new county and faced with many new experiences over the next week. All we can hope is that we contribute in some way to positive change and progress.

Thank you for supporting us and coming back each day to read about what we are doing and to learn more about the situation in the Texas Borderlands.

~KEL

Preparations

General, Snapshots

Preparing for this trip has been a daunting task. To get ready, I’ve been focusing on educating myself. Through many hours of reading and conversation, I’ve realized that my previous way of thinking must be dismantled. It was either too simplistic or full of preconceived notions founded on incorrect information. The past few weeks have been a difficult but good process of reshaping the way I think so that I can start to understand the nuance and complexity of the border crisis. I do not doubt that this will be an ongoing process and my mind will be changed many more times before we return home. Ultimately, this is a good thing and I welcome the opportunity to humbly learn from others. 

This has not stopped me from being apprehensive, though. If I had to put a name to my whirlwind of emotions surrounding our impending departure I’d have to go with cautiously eager. I am eager because I want to be a part of work that will help people. I hope this will be the first of many opportunities for me to work in a humanitarian setting. There is also a strong desire to learn. There is so much about the emotional toll and local environment that I won’t be able to understand until I am in the midst of it. I am cautious because it is all very new and intimidating. I understand that no matter how much I have read or discussed with past team members, very little will be what I expect. I suspect emotions will be running high both within our team and in the community of Eagle Pass. I remind myself that things will likely not go according to plan. I am determined to remain flexible through it all. Cool heads, positive communications, and teamwork will hopefully get us through any hiccups without too much difficulty.

As I double and triple-check my packing list I remind myself that plans aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Staying malleable will be essential during this trip. Remaining open to opportunities to learn and grow in the moment will be more productive than anything I could have ever prepared for.

Kaitlyn