For me, reading The Crossing was a very troubling experience for many reasons. The most notable part of this experience was observing how something as uncontrollable as (national) identity can play such a huge role in someone’s destiny. Throughout the article there are many instances where it’s evident that where someone is born can determine how much respect people think they deserve as an immigrant. As we began discussing in our first class last week , migration studies and identity are so closely intertwined with one another and I thought The Crossing did an excellent job of using examples to articulate this concept.

As I read, I acknowledged and reflected on a privilege that I so rarely think deeply about: the privilege of being born in the United States. A quote that especially stood out to me was “Migration has always been a part of the human condition, but an individual’s right to mobility is strictly defined by the political constraints of that individual’s birthright. (Alexander).” I don’t often think about how this aspect of my identity has guaranteed me stability, especially in the context of mobility. I found my self asking Why does where I was born or where I wasn’t born so strongly determine where I can go? What did I do to deserve this privilege? What did the migrants mentioned in the article do to deserve to be treated so poorly? And the answer is nothing. Neither of us contributed to the factors that led us to being born where we were born, yet it entirely controls our ability to move in this world.