Wounds in the Sand:
The Arizona-Sonora Border Region
Alternative Spring Break 2002

DESCRIPTION
Why is someone's labor worth more on one side of the border than on the other? Why do 400 migrants die per year trying to cross into the US? Why does NAFTA encourage the free flow of capital but not of people?

From maquiladoras to the Border Patrol, the goal of this trip was to provide the participants with an experiential education about urgent economic, political, social, environmental, and cultural issues on the US-Mexico Border. The trip was coordinated through various non-profit organizations based in the Tucson-Nogales border region such as BorderLinks, an organization dedicated to coordinating experiential trips and Humane Borders, a group committed to the protection of the rights and lives of border crossers.

DATES AND PARTICIPATION
Between March 24rd and March 31st, thirteen Stanford students spent their Spring Break in Tucson, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora.

DIRECTED READING
Participation in a 2 unit directed reading course was required during the Winter Quarter 2002. The course was facilitated by Orlando Lara. The purpose of this course was to give participants a framework of the issues relevant to the US-Mexico Border and an introduction to the various perspectives that collide en la frontera. Take a look at the syllabus.

LOGISTICS
We rented a minivan and full-size car and drove to Tucson, sharing the gas costs. The drive to Tucson was 16hrs including stops.

COSTS
The total amount spent on the trip was $3740. Part of this cost, $1805 was subsidized by the United Campus Christian Ministry and the remainder of $1935 was covered by the trip participants, making the out-of-pocket cost $148 per person.