“How Ya Doin’?” The Impossibilities of Normalcy While Under Assault

Abstract

Dedicated to the people of Minnesota, this article examines one teacher educator’s perspectives on teaching others to teach during a federal occupation of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA, and surrounding communities. This autoethnographic poetic reflection questions how he—and anyone—can focus on a future, when the present is in turmoil. Highlighting average citizens and the pushback against an unwanted, considered by many to be unlawful, invasion of federal officers, under the guise of immigration reform, the poet’s response questions the ability of citizens to move forward, grow, and create during unprecedented crises.