Janine Schipper's Disappearing Desert

Typically, when we think of the desert, the first thing most people think of is a barren landscape where nothing grows and the only kind of animals that thrive here are cold blooded reptiles who rely on the extreme temperatures to exist. While to some degree that statement might be true, however, the one thing that people who do no resident in the desert do not realize is the beauty that comes from the stillness. While most of us forget about the beauty of a never changing land and strive to modernity, there are still organizations and communities who strive to keep their neighborhoods from impacting the lands. Organizations such as the Salt River community that I will explore as I uncover Janine Schipper’s Disappearing Desert. Personally,

I just enjoyed reading the contradictory advertising statement Schipper pointed out that negated the come enjoy the untouched wilderness with our modern amenities. The one way advertisers tried to entice individuals to move to the Southwest was by selling people the small town feel with numerous of activities for the entire family to keep busy and have fun. By exploiting new homeowners with amenities to cater to a family setting while being out of the big city and on top of everything being inexpensive, appeals to many individual who are looking to start a family in a new location for a reasonable price. Something I found interesting in the chapter was the American Dream in the Salt River Community. How individual who sold their land to land developers in order to build the Pima Freeway in exchange for money. Consequently, money can only make people happy for so long before happiness turns bitter. “Yet, for many, instant wealth and the achievement of the American Dream has turned into a nightmare as relocation and lack of knowledge about how to manage their wealth has disturbing consequences” (Schipper, 2008, pg.73) The money that many individuals made off their land gave them the American Dream of having a huge house however what good did it do if many of these individuals had to give up their homes because they could no longer afford it. For these individuals who achieve the dream of attaining the American Dream, it came at the cost of losing their