Gendering the American Past
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I. Gendering the American past as feminine gives a distorted picture of reality. While the land has always been considered feminine because of its reproductive facility, and people have always referred to "Mother Nature" such feminine attributes are hardly befitting the American West as it was when the immigrants first arrived from Europe. It was a cruel, harsh, inhospitable land in many ways. Life for the early immigrants was not easy. They had to face hardships of travel, hostile Indians, and a land which was difficult to tame in many instances. They had to deal with harsh weather conditions, ranging from searing heat on the plains in summer to bone-chilling winters in the mountains and northern states. Life was not easy in early American history. Immigrants came to America to escape persecution and harsh conditions in industrialized Europe, but found life here no easier. They had more political and religious freedom, to be sure, but wresting a life from the land for those who became farmers or ranchers was a constant struggle against the elements. "Mother" Earth was not kind to many, and while there were fertile areas of land, there were many areas where cultivation was difficult at the best of times. The attributes of a woman, symbolized as nurturing, gentle and kindly hardly fit with the realities these early immigrants faced. Simply crossing the continent to find places to settle down and farm or ranch brought with them enormous risks and battles with the e
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still oppressed people, as they have been ever since the white man set foot on their continents. They are still fighting for their rights to be recognized as human beings, with the same rights as other human beings, to be treated with the same respect and dignity.
There is a necessity to control the borders, and this is even more so today with the threat of terrorism overshadowing everyone, but Silko writes before terrorism was on everyone's minds, when the only danger from border crossers was the presence of more illegal immigrants in the country, or more drugs. There was no justification for the treatment she received when stopped by Border Patrol agents for no apparent reason, and there is no doubt that if she was white, she would not have been treated as if she was a criminal. Border Patrol agents need to be trained in culture sensitivity and in how to treat people with dignity and respect. Not everyone they stop is going to be engaged in a criminal activity and they need to show restraint before acting like the cowboys of the old west - shoot first and ask questions later.
Silko points to the case of Border Patrol agent Michael Elmer, who shot an illegal immigrant in the back and was acquitted of murder with a cla
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2744
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)
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