The Realities of the US-Mexico Barrier
By Kelly Bessem
April 30, 2017 marked the fifth time the Door of Hope/Puerta de Esperanza was opened at the US-Mexico border near San Diego, Calif. to let family members from each country momentarily hug each other. This year six families were given three minutes each.
This emotional event began in 2013 when Enrique Morones, founder of the social justice non-profit Border Angels, realized the child of one of his volunteers had never hugged her father.
“This event isn’t political, it’s about the image of a daughter hugging her had for the first time,” Morones said.
Kelly Bessem was able to see this historic event through a trip organized by the California Geographic Society Conference, which she attended through the Geography Department at Humboldt State.
To find information on Border Angels and U.S.-Mexico immigration, visit http://www.borderangels.org
