Borders Group

Borders Group Incorporated: Too Big & Failed Capitalism is a key component in the strong rooted foundation that the economy has been based off since the inception of this nation and is defined as trade and industry that is owned and controlled for profit by a private owner instead of being controlled by the government (dictionary.com). While the American free market has often been held in the highest esteem by foreign economies as well as ourselves, casualties of the same system have been rampant following America’s Great Recession and the aftermath. One of the most notable casualties was that of bookstore giant Borders Group Incorporated. Founded in 1971, by brothers Tom and Louis Borders of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Borders Bookstore was originally…

When examining the word “border” there are various thoughts and emotions that this can trigger for an individual. Before reading, “Undoing Border Imperialism” by Harsha Walia, I thought of a border as something that keeps people in or out, basically a boundary. After reading the text, Walia has allowed for me to realize that borders are much more about who’s included or excluded but rather the ways this inclusion and exclusion takes place and the reasoning behind these ways. Walia offers the…

How does the way we use borders affect our lives in the world today and the lives of those around us? Living in a world that has so many borders, physical, social, political, and mental forces us to choose between building borders up—causing conflict—or, tearing them down—bringing peace—to one another. How do we understand them so we can better navigate the roles they play in our lives? Looking at borders inside and out we are, in a way, a sort of gatekeeper for all of the borders we…

Stretching out approximately 2000 miles long, the U.S.-Mexico concrete border has its own loopholes where at certain points the security is not tight. This enables people to cross the border without papers. However, this is not to say that those people will not find any difficulties in crossing. A note to remember, the unauthorized border crossing means risking everything it may take because the spots are not considered comfortable to be crossed such as crossing through abandoned tunnel (El…

anything. Today we Americans have made it even harder for immigrants to get over to American the legal way as, well as increasing border security and militarization. 9/11 has also had a…

Having been attacked on its own soil at Pearl Harbor in 1941, having concluded the World War in 1945, and having witnessed the aftermath of the holocaust, seemed very good reasons for America to add certain restrictions to its borders in reaction to threat. Immigration restrictions put in place just after WWII forced my grandfather and other family members to settle in Sutton, Canada, rather than in the U.S., thus influencing their identity and physically restricting the body from freedom of…

Tim Burton, on the other hand, utilized his main character, Edward Bloom, in the movie Big Fish during the 1950s to show how getting passed the one-way thinking and making decisions without fear and rules can open new doors leading to fresh adventures, trials, and relationships, delving into a more significant understanding of oneself and the world around them. These two pieces emphasize different stages of the same theme specifically using the common elements border crossing and hybridity…

Additionally, because borders have a distinct historical background, it eventually affects the social, economic, and political realities of the borderland and determines the interaction between the border people. As different interactions happened in the borderlands compare to the other regions in both countries, certain levels of interactions inevitably make distinctions as Martínez (6-9) briefly categorizes the borderlands into four groups, namely: 1. Alienated borderlands In this type of…

The border between The United States and Mexico has long been known as one of the most dangerous parts of the country. Dangerous drug cartels pushing people and drugs over the border, constantly are adapting and finding new ways to do so. This would pose a bigger threat if not for the United States border patrol agents who are on guard all hours of the day trying to prevent contraband from entering the country. Terry Kirkpatrick served in Nogales Arizona, and later Mexico. After receiving many…

Speaking of women working in the sex trade, Biemann states in her article, “unless they go out with the customers and provide personal entertainment and sexual services, they will not earn a living”(Biemann 2013, 403). Driven by a need for survival, women around the world are forced into prostitution and can become victims of sex trafficking. While it is morally wrong to use a women for sexual pleasure for money, it is a common way women are brought across borders, in order to make a living…