– Grant Shillington
In late April I am sitting on a beach in Nice looking out at the Mediterranean. Of course, it is a breathtaking sight, but it is also a deadly border between Europe and the rest of the world, crossed by thousands of migrants hoping to live in safety from war. This thought comes to mind following a visit to the Cité de l’immigration in Paris. This museum, in typically French fashion, is organized around a problématique, a guiding question: What is a border?
The answers are many and far-reaching. Of course, they block migration, but they also attract other activity. For example, many people risk their lives climbing over the wall that separates Bangladesh and India to sell their goods on the other side. What stuck with me the most was the exhibit on the Mediterranean. Two weeks later I would be sitting on a beach that thousands of people risk their lives every day to reach. It reminded me that I should always be conscious of my privilege and of the difficulties of migration.
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