Fifteen students in a Duke University class, entitled “The U.S./Mexico Border,” explore the meaning of borders, immigration, and access to education in America. Four of them are non-students and non-citizens. They act, for a semester, as if barriers to their education no longer exist.
Border Crossing 101 follows the lives of the four “guest” students, along with the eleven who go through the semester with them. Through the semester, class members explore their diverse pasts, gaining insights into citizenship, entitlement, and identity in America. In the end, the students have broken down personal barriers and stereotypes, but one major barrier remains.