First Time Saenz And The Border Patrol example essay topic

In today's society, racial profiling is not unheard of; actually it is quite common. It is still at debate whether the act of racial profiling in moral or not. In Saenz's essay, Exile. El Paso, Texas, he describes his personal experience of discrimination due to his ethnic background. Saenz is a Mexican-American and because he lives in El Paso, which is a border town, he is often mistaken for an illegal immigrant. Saenz is stopped on the streets of his neighborhood and questioned by border patrol.

On one such occasion, Saenz becomes annoyed and says to himself, .".. pretty soon I'll have to carry a passport in my own neighborhood". Saenz describes his anger and despair brought by the discrimination he experiences in El Paso. Saenz attempts to show the reader what it is like to be the subject of racial profiling and show the impact of racial profiling on the individual. Saenz effectively does this through his color symbolism, and tonal shifts in dialogue. Saenz comes up with an interesting and clever way to present the effects of racial profiling. He uses color to effectively portray his feelings.

Towards the beginning of the essay, Saenz sees the colors that represent El Paso as good. Saenz says, .".. I looked out my window and stared at the Juarez Mountains. Mexican purples - burning". Here we see that Saenz is enjoying his desk view. He goes further in describing how he feels, "All this color, all this color, all this color beneath the shadow of the Juarez Mountains.

Sunset Heights: a perfect place with a perfect name, and a perfect view of the river". These colors, especially the purple, represent the beauty of El Paso for him. At this point in the essay, it is easy for Saenz to find the beauty of El Paso. Saenz obviously enjoys living there. However, not all the colors he sees are good. Saenz begins to see a color that he doesn't much care for; green.

Saenz says, "The green cars and the green vans clashed with the purples of the Juarez Mountains. Nothing looked the same". As Saenz gets more and more frustrated the beauty he once saw in the purple mountains of Juarez fades into the green of the border patrol vehicles and uniforms. As the essay progresses, Saenz begins to see more and more green. Eventually, as the beautiful colors of the mountains fade, and he becomes blinded by it. The use of color symbolism allows Saenz to paint a picture that represents the beauty of El Paso.

Saenz hopes that the reader will also see this picture and relate to it. Just as the reader gets this beautiful image of El Paso in their head, Saenz slowly reveals the ugly side of El Paso. That glorious image the reader has of the purple Juarez Mountains and the blue river is marred by the green of the border patrol. As Saenz sees more and more green, so does the reader. By doing this, Saenz stimulates feelings of frustration from the reader.

That is exactly what Saenz is trying to do; show the reader what it feels like to be a victim of racial profiling, and one of those feelings is frustration. Saenz is also able to effectively show the affects of racial profiling on the individual through his tonal shifts in dialogue. In Saenz's first encounter with border patrol, he has a very nonchalant attitude. Saenz states, .".. it wasn't hurting anyone to answer her questions.

It was all very innocent, just a game". Despite the rude questioning of the female border patrol officer, Saenz tries to stay friendly and appeasing. Afterwards, Saenz regrets the way he handled the situation saying, "I was embarrassed, ashamed because I'd been so damned compliant like a piece of tin foil in the uniformed woman's hand". The next encounter Saenz becomes a bit feistier with the border patrol officers. This is the first stage of Saenz's tonal shift. Saenz begins to spout out brash comments.

When asked where on the street he lived, he replies, "Are you planning on making a social visit?" The tonal shift continues, and with each pursuing officer Saenz becomes more aggressive. Saenz feeling of annoyance turns to pure hatred. Saenz states, "He hated me as much as I hated him". Saenz's tonal shift is completed in his final confrontation of the essay. In this run in with the border patrol Saenz's defiance is most blatant.

Saenz is pushed past his threshold and snaps, saying to the officer, "Read me my rights, throw me in the can, or leave me alone". The reader is able to view Saenz's change in attitude. It is easy to see that the first time Saenz and the border patrol meet up, it is innocent and for the most part Saenz is compliant. At the end of the essay Saenz's defiant attitude is obvious to the reader.

Saenz hopes for the reader to feel his frustration and relate to his feelings. Though not quite on the same level, I can relate to Saenz's frustration. For example, the issue of telemarketing is similar to this. A few years ago, before it was too common, when a telemarketer called it was what Saenz calls an innocent game.

The telemarketer would ask his questions, and I would answer them. Today, with the inundation of marketing calls, it has become annoying. After awhile, that annoyance turns to hatred. Now, I find myself being rude and defiant towards these people who are just "doing their job". Saenz designed this essay to move the reader with the same tonal shifts.

Getting the reader to relate is the first step to getting them to understand. This essay at first seems as though it is centered on race and discrimination, but more importantly it is centered on acceptance and belonging. Not only do the purple mountains represent beauty, but they also represent Saenz's sense of belonging. Saenz describes the mountains as "sacraments of belonging". In addition to the beauty, the familiarity helps him feel that he fits in. Being able to look out his window and see the Mountains gave him a sense of acceptance.

Over time, Saenz looks out his window and is only able to see the green of the border patrol. "The winds will unsettle the desert - cover Sunset Heights with green dust. The vans will stay in my mind forever. I cannot banish them.

I cannot banish their questions. Where are you from? I no longer know". The border patrol's persistent questioning forces Saenz to question himself about his own belonging. This essay by Saenz does a great job of presenting an issue and an argument through a story of personal experience. Because Saenz does this through story form, he is able to present his opinion without sounding pushy or preachy.

Saenz knows that someone is more likely to read his essay in this disguised format. Exile. El Paso, Texas entices the reader to look at their personal beliefs on racial profiling, even if they have never thought about the issue before.