The Juarez Mountains provide an idyllic backdrop to the view of downtown El Paso, Texas--yet for many residents, it is clear that the increase of violence along the U.S.-Mexico border has created a stark divide between two cities located just a few hundred feet apart from one another.
Separated only by the Rio Grande river, El Paso and Ciduad Juarez, Mexico, historically have been treated as one community by residents on both sides.
“People would go back and forth across the border for lunch or to pick up their dry-cleaning,” said Dr. Kathryn Schmidt, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). “About five percent of our students live in Juarez and commute to El Paso.”
According to Dr. Schmidt, this sense of security has drastically changed with heightened border control and an increase of gang-related violence in recent years.
Today, while the streets of Juarez are no stranger to criminal activity, the neighboring community just across the border is detaching itself in silence.
“I would say that some of our community is almost numb,” said Dr. Schmidt. “It’s almost normalized because the enormity of the problem is so great. People feel like their individual efforts don’t make a difference.”
Dr. Schmidt and other concerned El Paso residents hope for change in their community through discussion.
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With the help of the UTEP Social Work Student Association, Dr. Schmidt and her colleagues will be hosting a screening of Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness, the Not In Our Town documentary about a town coming together after anti-immigrant violence devastated the community.
The Light in the Darkness is scheduled to be screened tonight at UTEP from 6:30-9:00 p.m. in the College of Health Sciences/School of Nursing building. A panel discussion of how El Paso region communities will respond is planned after the event, and will be led by distinguished panelists including Senator Elliot Shapleigh.
The film will also be screened in Juarez at Universidad Automa de Ciudad Juarez in early November (date and time to be determined).
By screening the film at the UTEP campus as well as at Juarez’ UACJ, Dr. Schmidt hopes to address the issue of violence plaguing border town communities on a local level and to ultimately eliminate hate in both communities.
While Dr. Schmidt says that anti-immigrant violence is not the necessarily the greatest issue that El Paso is grappling with-- which she says may be attributed to the city's 80 percent Latino population-- hate does exist there.
"Hate crimes against LGBT people are reported, although many community members talk about assaults and name-calling that they did not report to police," said Dr. Schmidt. According to statistics reported in the El Paso Times in 2010, two out of three reported hate crimes are anti-gay.
Just this summer, a 22-year-old man was severely beaten outside of a bar because of his perceived sexuality. Dr. Schmidt said that the community responded to the crime by holding a vigil, organizing a community discussion with the police force, and by fundraising to support the victim's family in paying his medical bills.
Dr. Schmidt hopes for more community responses in regard to hate and violence of all forms, as well as a dialogue surrounding issues of diversity and tolerance.
“We hope that showing the film will enable people to discuss anti-immigrant violence and other forms of hate crimes,” said Dr. Schmidt about the Light in the Darkness screening, adding that participants will be asked to make a commitment to taking action after viewing the film.
“Our goal is to help the community grow more aware of various agencies' work on these issues and to encourage people to support their efforts to and take advantage of their services," she said.
For more information on the film, visit the Light in the Darkness page. You can also find a screening near you or host one in your town. Not In Our Town offers numerous resources to help make your screening successful.
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