Thomas King's Message in The Story 'Borders'

Who are the Blackfoot? The Blackfoot Confederacy includes three Indigenous nations: Kainai, Piikani, Siksika. Their traditional territories are found around the Southern part of Alberta and Saskatchewan and the Northern part of Montana. As of 2016, a census confirmed that 22,490 distinguished as having a Blackfoot ancestry. It is, without doubt, that the Blackfoot Confederacy, along with several other cultures, are not treated with the justice they deserve, and the fairness compared to the rest of society. Thomas King, a skilled Canadian-American author, wrote his remarkable story Borders as a way to convey the global issue of identities, dignity, and acceptance. King accomplished writing a meaningful piece as his story provides the required awareness regarding a controversial topic affecting millions of citizens around the world.

People's personalities are what establishes their identity, not their citizenship, so why did the guards at the border demand that the boy and his mom had to either be Canadian or American? Why could not the guards acquire Blackfoot as citizenship? King did an admirable job addressing the dilemma of individualities and social inequity as he wrote about a family with a unique heritage. “ ‘Canadian or American side?’ asked the guard. ‘Blackfoot side,’ she said”. “ ‘I’d be proud of being Blackfoot if I were Blackfoot. But you have to be American or Canadian.’ ” The understanding we, as readers, are receiving from the guards is that citizenship determines the character of each person. Although the boy and his mom were ordinary people, they were not allowed in either Canada or America because they would not distinguish themselves as Canadian or America. It is sincerely unethical that the guards were attempting to change the citizenship of those who may be different. This prejudice matter is important for all 7.53 billion citizens to recognize and to settle because we should be living in a world where everyone is treated equally and with decency.

Possessing pride is one of those things easier said than done. It is effortless for people to say something others would want to hear, instead of being their true selves. “It would have been easier if my mother had just said ‘Canadian’ and been done with it, but she wasn’t going to do that.” The character King portrayed the mom to be is an outstanding role model for everyone. The purpose of this story is to communicate the idea of people not being embarrassed about who they are or where they are from. “Pride is a good thing to have, you know”. I recall a time when I was told that I was Chinese and not Canadian because of the way I looked. My brother and I are first-generation Canadians, as we were born in Toronto after my parents immigrated from China. Although to others, I appeared Chinese, therefore I could not be Canadian. There were times where I wondered how my life could have differed if I was white, but after reading this story, I learned that I should take pride and be proud of who I am and my origins, despite the struggles I may face in the future. “He took the hat and blew his nose and told my mother that she was an inspiration to us all.”(King 174), and she too, was an inspiration to me.

Borders may have been written in the early 1990s, but unfortunately, the moral of the story is still affecting today's society. Sadly, it is challenging for the population to accept a variety of different cultures and religions, although it should not be that problematic. In regards to the story, King wanted to express the message of treating everyone equally and accepting them for who they are. It was utterly tragic to read about the boy and his mom living in their car, in front of the duty-free store. “I told him we had nowhere to go, that neither the Americans nor the Canadians would let us in”. It was not until the press showed up when the American borders let them pass. Either side of the borders should have let the boy and his mom pass in the beginning, but instead, the reporters had to arrive and threaten poor credibility. Acceptance is an enormous controversial dispute that needs to be resolved with the cooperation of the world. After all, as Mel said, “...that justice was a damn hard thing to get, but that we shouldn’t give up”.

All in all, King demonstrated a crucial message through his story Borders. He managed to get readers thinking about several citizens in the world who are suffering from prejudice daily. Aside from the lesson of identities, dignity, and acceptance King taught his readers, he also provided us with the insight of different Indigenous groups, such as the Blackfoot. Obtaining the knowledge and understanding of different cultures and religions is the first step to developing an equitable world. How do you plan to improve the discrimination in our society?