Crossing the Wire Response

            Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs shows the desperation and difficulty people go through to get to the US in an attempt to provide a better life for their loved ones still living in Mexico. In America, there are a lot of negative opinions about people immigrating into the US illegally, especially when it comes to the people who cross the Mexican/American border. However, this book provides an alternative view to the “American perspective” and places the reader in the situation of those on the other side of the border. This is significant because there are very few things in the media and the public eye which defend the opposite side of the immigration conflict in the United States.

            Something I found surprising or difficult to imagine is that there are such young people carrying the burden of having to provide for their families; even more so that they feel the need to risk their lives to immigrate to America in order to make a better living for their families in Mexico. It’s difficult to think about because I, and others I know, always complain about what we don’t have or what’s going wrong in our lives; where in reality, we have much more than many other people ever have in their entire lives. We not only possess more things, like objects or money, but we are also provided with so many opportunities just because of where we were born. All the while, others have to risk a lot just for that chance not only for themselves but for their families.

Another thing I found shocking is the danger of crossing the border, not only on the American side of the border, but on the Mexican side as well. On the Mexican side, the dangers are almost greater because there are people who are willing to hurt you if you don’t pay them money to get you across the border. Alternatively, the book shows the American border patrol as having a more peaceful approach to immigrants. The Americans usually just deport you back to Mexico and aren't really a threat to the physical well-being of the immigrants.

            This book is fairly realistic in terms of the process that Victor goes through to get to America. It was very real that he would have been caught and deported at least once. It was also plausible that he would be separated from, and then possibly reunited with, some of the people he met or knew along the way. I appreciated this book in terms of its realism because it didn't sugar coat anything. Americans should be faced with the truth. They need to be informed about the perspective of the people living similar lives to the characters in this book. They need to be faced with the realism of the risks that people take and the danger they face. It’s important to know that many people who attempt to cross the border don’t make it through alive. When America understands these things, better solutions to the immigration issues may finally be found.