Timeline for Why is a border wall such a polarising issue in American politics?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
9 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jun 1, 2021 at 3:20 | comment | added | Kevin Keane | @user76284 Actually, the East German government always claimed that it was to keep the West out (although in practical terms, it was indeed intended to keep people in). But that's really a moot point. Both the Berlin Wall, and the San Diego wall, use very similar features to prevent crossing. And while some features may point the other way, ultimately they block both directions. | |
| May 29, 2021 at 23:47 | comment | added | user76284 | The Berlin wall was built primarily to keep people in, not out. | |
| Feb 18, 2019 at 15:17 | comment | added | agc | Re "it's not likely a factor": a fact needn't be known to affect things, (q.v. the entire history of medicine), perhaps year-round undocumented immigrants inadvertently excite xenophobic organization by exceeding some sort of paranoical tipping point of exposure time. | |
| Jan 17, 2019 at 16:27 | comment | added | TylerH | "That fact is not very well known, though" Indeed, and this answer really needs some citations. | |
| Jan 16, 2019 at 21:12 | comment | added | Kevin Keane | @jamesqf Keep in mind that this was 30 years ago, so making such workers legal today wouldn't change anything. That said, there are visas available for this work, but the quota is very low, and the red tape makes it difficult to use (which farmer knows a year in advance what the weather will be at harvest time?). There also was the braceros program in the 1950s and 1960s, which was also plagued by its own set of problems. That is probably one factor why people in the 1980s perceived migrant harvest workers as a problem. | |
| Jan 15, 2019 at 20:05 | comment | added | jamesqf | Re "workers usually tended to come only for a few weeks for harvest season", harvest tends to be a moveable affair. It might start with winter/early spring havest of strawberries & vegetables in California's Imperial Valley (or even in Mexico), and finish in the fall with apples, peaches, &c in Washington state (or even into Canada). Which is why the workers are MIGRANT workers. Would seem far better (since most Americans won't do this work) to simply make such workers legal. | |
| Jan 15, 2019 at 0:33 | comment | added | Kevin Keane | The part that I meant to directly answer the question was from "had he proposed expanding the wall it would have been uncontroversial" to "rapists. And a few good people", and the reference to the campaign promise. You are right, the rest of it is elaboration to provide context and background (and thanks for calling it insightful!) | |
| Jan 14, 2019 at 11:42 | comment | added | Peter | Your answer is insightful, but I don't think it actually answers the question "why is the wall a divisive topic". I do think what you have could be taken in several directions to answer that part as well, and would be interested in reading that expanded answer. | |
| Jan 14, 2019 at 10:05 | history | answered | Kevin Keane | CC BY-SA 4.0 |