No Borders and Binaries

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I am busy for the next 2 months till the October LSAT, which is why you will not be seeing frequent blog posts from me. Do feel free to leave me a comment or shoot me an email though.
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I know we learn by repetition but exactly how many times does one need to repeat the same story compromising different voices. US News took on the issue of undocumented students in higher education recently, with the reporter in question interviewing undocumented students and their foes for over a month. At the end of the process, we get a measly 2-pages with the same old known facts that gives us nothing new, offers nothing path-breaking or thought-provoking.

“Should Colleges Enroll Illegal Immigrants?” WHAT? Why are we even asking this question? Every human being has the right to pursue education, especially at their own expense. We should have moved beyond this already. What an utter waste of time for the students involved–their stories and life experiences could be put to use in a much more scholastic, academic and beneficial manner–by showing how their presence in the waiting rooms of history has led to the creation of small, active, online communities. Even the uniqueness of Generation 1.5, the challenges they have faced and overcome in the United States. That is a much better piece than quoting Kobach and Gheen over and over–who have the same hateful message to give time and time again.

Lets wait and watch on this US News piece that even I made a vital contribution to, not expecting much out of it. Why did I do it? Because I believe our stories need to be told, our voices need to be heard. Without hegemony, without the backing of the state, our stories can only become histories when they are told and retold enough times to become collective memory.

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