America has two main borders. When most people think of border issues, their minds go straight to the U.S.-Mexico border. They picture everything from child endangerment to drugs and weapons pouring over. While these concerns are valid, there’s a racist undertone to how much focus is put on this one border.
In America, there’s a deep-seated fear of people who aren’t like them. It’s not just about race or nationality; it’s also about the economic status of individuals. To me, this fear is rooted in racism. You can argue statistics all day, but it doesn’t change the fact that minorities and poor people often get blamed for crime, even if the numbers don’t fully support it. This obsession with the southern border feeds into that fear. But why does this matter? Because no one’s looking north.
What’s up north? Over 5,000 miles of open border connecting the U.S. and Canada. When you ask people about Canada, most think of a safe, friendly country filled with white people who share a lot in common with white Americans. Honestly, that’s one of the dumbest stereotypes I’ve heard. Canada has an immigration policy that’s practically an open door—the country’s diverse, with people from all over the world. You won’t just find natives and white Canadians there. You’ll find people of every race and background.
Canada’s policies on weapons and drugs are more relaxed in some areas. So, when it comes to people crossing into the U.S. illegally, it’s not just through the woods. Many are coming through trucks, cargo ships, small boats across waterways, or even private planes landing in remote areas. Organized crime groups take advantage of the weaker security on the northern border, using sophisticated strategies to get people and goods across without getting caught.
It’s not just about human and drug trafficking. The northern border is also a hotspot for smuggling weapons and other contraband. And the reason it’s easier? All eyes are on Mexico. Not because Mexico is the only place with issues, but because of racism. It’s about focusing on people who don’t look like the “ideal” American and ignoring the northern border because people still think of Canada as our “good white neighbor.”
In reality, many immigrants come through the northern border looking for a better life, not to commit crimes. They’re here to feed their families, to find work—just like the immigrants coming through the southern border. And that’s what America is supposed to be about when you look at what the Constitution actually says. It’s not hard to imagine people risking the tough Canadian border to get here, especially when you look at what people go through to cross from Mexico.
If it wasn’t for the racism fueling the focus on Mexico, we’d have more attention on the northern border and better security measures there. But that’s not the case, because people still cling to these outdated, racist ideas about who should be feared.
I'm not saying that the Mexican border isn't a serious issue because we know it is. I don't want us to forget North of us.
American: "Canada is our good white neighbor."
Some employers in America exploit immigrants to work on farms and other places, which contributes to the country's immigration issues. Locally, I have seen farmers treat workers like commodities, moving them around the country with paperwork to avoid legal trouble or other problems.