• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • The Wellesley (COVID) 100
      The Wellesley (COVID) 100
    • In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
      In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
    • Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
      Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
      The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
    • Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
      Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
    • No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
      No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
      Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
    • No image
      Birds Falling Upwards: Wellesley College Theater’s The Moors is a Must-See
    • No image
      Sometimes you just need to read a YA “Groundhog Day” to feel something
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Health and Wellness
    • February Student Athlete of the Month
      February Student Athlete of the Month
    • Athletics Update
      Athletics Update
    • Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
      Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
      Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
    • Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
      Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
    • Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
      Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Hadley Banas OpinionsApril 17, 2019

Fears grow as we anticipate the consequences of the US.-Mexico border close on our supply of avocados

Photo Courtesy of The Guardian

Steve Barnard, president and chief executive of Mission Produce, the largest distributor of avocados, recently claimed that the United States will run out of avocados in three weeks if President Trump decides to close the US-Mexico border. This newsline has become the cause of concern for many; the public reaction, however, should be noticed, as it demonstrates the true nature of many Americans. Rather than being concerned about the human rights violations committed at the US-Mexico border by the US government, many Americans are taking notice of immigration and trade policy because it now directly impacts their consumption of the trendy instagram fruit: avocados.

Mexico is the source for roughly 90 percent of imported avocados in the United States. If imports were to cease, Americans would run out of avocados in three short weeks. This fact has created a national state of alarm — because where would we be without our daily avocado toasts, guacamole, trendy salads and smoothies? Media attention concerning the avocado’s fate has exploded, in many cases overshadowing the immigration crisis. Many have turned to memes, tweets and puns to cope with the news. This leads us to wonder about what the avocado scandal indicates about the United States’ values. Do we really care that much about this popular fruit or is it simply a tangible manifestation of a larger issue: the United States’ relation with its southern neighbor?

Far from trivializing a potential bilateral trade crisis, some experts say that the focus on the avocado is emphasizing the effect President Trump’s decision would have on Americans. Reinsch, who was previously president of the National Foreign Trade Council, commented: “It’s a handy shorthand way of illustrating how an abstract issue like international trade actually affects people’s lives day by day. … It allows people to more easily understand the interconnectedness of the global marketplace and demonstrates the benefits of globalization.”

A dwindling avocado supply is only one out of the many consequences this decision would have on Americans and Mexicans alike. Americans in all job sectors — whether that be manufacturing, farming or small businesses — would take a big hit, along with border residents and migrants, if this decision were to go through. This situation could quickly become as much of a humanitarian issue as it is currently an economic one; behind all the trade issues, there are actual people who will be affected. Northern Mexican cities that depend on trade with the United States would be devastated by any extended border closing, leading to mass unemployment that could actually create more attempts to cross the United States border. Under United States law, asylum seekers can request protections once they reach American soil — meaning the closing could actually encourage more desperate flights across the border. If anything, these new decisions concerning the border will only promote more poverty in Mexico, which would then turn into more pressure on immigration in the U.S.

It is unfortunate that something as trivial as the avocado is the catalyst for American discourse regarding the US-Mexico border. With that being said, all Americans need to understand the severity of the border crisis and the problems surrounding it — and, maybe in the meantime, choose a different spread for trendy toast.

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleLetter to the Editors: Re: “The referendum petition shows a clear disregard for constitutional principles”
Next articleProspies deserve to know the truth about the Wellesley experience

You may also like

The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration

Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals

No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2022 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top