Change the Narrative

Dec 4

The narratives used to justify mass agricultural expansion in the early twentieth century started with “there is nothing here.” The Valley was defined as “economically worthless and culturally backwards” for Anglo farmers and investors to make profit from the land. (9, Inventing the Magic Valley) This narrative was also used to sell the idea of progress and innovation. If we are disconnected from our land, from nature and our ecosystem, the more likely we will accept its harm. (Dr. Christopher Basaldu, December 1, 2023) The narrative of “there is nothing here” still lingers into our everyday lives here.

Colonization, neoliberal policies, and environmental extraction led to mass migration, displacement and more. The United States has profited from migrant labor and detention since its expansion. The majority of detention centers in the United States are private and for profit. These companies lobby for anti-immigration policies, to ensure that their facilities are always full. (Juan Carmona, interview, September 15, 2023). Rio Grande Processing Center is a detention center that is part of GEO, one of the largest private detention companies in the world. It operates 102 detention centers in the United States, and they are being investigated for violations in human rights against immigrants. (From Crisis to Change Curriculum)

Today, we see the remnants of more than 100 years of mass agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley and the concentrated wealth built off segregation, land theft, and Mexican labor. According to the Texas Observer, as of 2018, two thirds of farmland is owned by white residents who also control the water. In this 100 years case study, we see that the economic prosperity promised by the Magic Valley idea was meant only for a few anglo families. The wealth did not trickle down. Hidalgo and Cameron counties continue to have one of the lowest income counties in the country. Structurally, families are poor because there has been a consistent historical extraction of wealth in the Rio Grande Delta.

Our history is violent, and hard to learn. However, we must also remember the strong history of resistance, of people fighting for a dignified way of life. Injustice has always come with resistance. The story is incomplete because each person who lives and has lived in the RGV has contributed to its story. All of our stories make up the history of this place. This is an invitation to learn your own story, your history. Reflect on the ways you want to contribute to this legacy of resistance. And, co-create the place we all call home. We need to first learn this history, to learn of the system of colonization that has disconnected us from our natural environment and from ourselves. We need to remember our history and remind ourselves that we come from this land. We cannot forget. A part of preserving our stories is about protecting our environment, and not forgetting our connection to our place.