The following letters are from the Summer Project in Texas organized about the Mexico-U.S. border and anti-immigrant racism (see CHALLENGE, 7/24).
This year marks the fifth summer project I attended, and it was by far the most sobering, transformative, and politically enriching one yet. I had both the misfortune and opportunity of being an eyewitness to the bosses’ monstrous border crisis, and the suffering they’ve inflictied on our working class brothers and sisters, when I volunteered at a migrant shelter. I was awestruck and inspired by the resilience of my fellow workers who made the incredibly dangerous and arduous journey from all corners of the continent, from Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela.
It was a crash course in becoming a better communist and developing leadership. I got to see the dangers of liberalism’s push for rainbow fascism up close and personal at a rally at Carrizo Springs. Selling CHALLENGE in Laredo, just steps away from the border, was a reminder of the importance of our work for CHALLENGE newspaper, not only a weapon against the bosses’ toxic ideology but as a tool for sharpening ourselves, as we struggle for the best political line that puts forth the truest reflection of the working class. The eagerness from workers to receive our message reaffirmed this, and helped me overcome my cynicism and further built my confidence in the working class.
Best of all, the time I spent with my comrades growing, singing, laughing, learning, and sharing our ideas and visions for a communist future These moments were glimmers of hope for me, and provided a much needed contrast to the tragedies I witnessed in Texas. This trip taught me that only workers armed with communist politics and values have the power to turn the dark nights we’re currently living in into brighter days. Long live communism!
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