In the Authors Note at the end of his memoir, The Line Becomes a River, Francisco Cant explains that his original motivation was to write a book anchored in an exploration of the many manifestations of border violence. (Cant 254) His book is also an exploration of his time as an employee of the U.S. Border Patrol charged with enforcing American immigration policies. Through that experience he came to understand the significance of the border itself. The whole region, he says, features an ever-present sense of unease….imposed by a political boundary that resulted from war. (Cant 255-6)
In this 4-5 Page Paper (about 1200-1500 words), I would like you to explore the connections Cant draws between violence and the U.S. Mexico border. More specifically, please address this question: How has the border, and the enforcement of U.S. immigration policies there, shaped the types of violence experienced by people in the region around it? As with your previous paper, this one should include all the elements of an academic paper, including an introduction with a thesis statement, body paragraphs that present and analyze specific evidence (see below for additional guidelines), smooth transitions that link one body paragraph to the next, an a conclusion that reflects upon the significance of what youve written.
You must support your thesis with specific, cited evidence from at least two different Parts of the book (Parts 1, II, and III). Specific evidence can take the form of concise quotes (generally, of fewer than three lines of text) or information and descriptions from the book that you put into your own words.
