Sanctuary

Content Warning: This section of the guide refers to xenophobia, rape, murder, enslavement, other violence, and challenges faced by immigrants.

It is the year 2032 in a futuristic, dystopian version of the United States. Sixteen-year-old Vali, her Mami, and her eight-year-old brother Ernie are watching a live, independent news feed on the dark web on her phone (the only news channel available otherwise is the National News, which, as propaganda, only tells parts of stories that flatter the government; it is often false). A 15-year-old girl attempts to walk across the border from Mexico to California. She climbs over the giant wall that has been built, but a land mine explodes before she can reach her destination. Although the girl dies, Vali admires her bravery and determination. The connection cuts out, so they watch a different livestream which shows protesters in both Mexico and California lamenting the girl’s death; they charge the wall. Helicopters shoot the protestors. Vali worries that her Tia Luna, who lives in California, might be there. They call her but get a message saying their call could not be processed. Next, their phones halt access to any live streams and instead project an image of a room that is empty except for a chair and the president’s portrait.