Meet the artists who set out to show a different side of the US-Mexico border

JANUARY 19, 20257:29 AM ET
HEARD ON WEEKEND EDITION SUNDAY
By Eric Westervelt, John Burnett

The US-Mexico border is often depicted as a place of destitute migrants, razor wire, and men with guns. A new spoken word and music project in Texas aims to challenge that portrayal.

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

In the national dialogue and Republican politics, the U.S.-Mexico border is often depicted as a no-man's-land of destitute migrants, razor wire and men with guns. A new performance project in Texas wants to challenge that notion, using music, photographs and spoken word. Reporter John Burnett has this preview of Postcards From The Border.

JOHN BURNETT, BYLINE: Oscar Casares conceived this project as a series of postcards written to his then-10-year-old daughter, Elena. He's a writer, English professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and a native son of the south Texas borderlands. Casares and photographer Joel Salcido zigzag down the international river from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico, stopping along the way. This excerpt is from the just-released soundtrack of the production.

More:
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/19/nx-s1-5203159/meet-the-artists-who-set-out-to-show-a-different-side-of-the-us-mexico-border