Mi Familia
Clarissa Escalante
Professor Lewenstein
English 201
26 Jan. 2018
The War on Immigration: One Family’s Fight into the Country
The film Mi Familia conveys the injustice that is illegal deportations and the realities that one faces as an immigrant. In the time of the Great Depression, following the stock market crash of the 30's, some politicians at the time believed that the undocumented immigrants were somewhat at fault for what had happened. They also believed that the immigrants were taking up a lot of jobs. Since most of the population was out of work, politicians felt that the "Real Americans" would benefit from those jobs. This became a time where "La Migra," or border patrols, were participating in illegal deportations, and would herd anybody away who looked Hispanic; unfortunately, some of the people that were taken were actual American citizens. One of the very first scenes in this film shows Maria Sanchez, wife of Jose Sanchez, being carted away on a train after border patrol agents did a "sweep" at a market. Not only was she taken away kicking and screaming, but she was also pregnant and alone. This film is not only for those who struggled to come to this country, but it is for those that have to share these injustices while here. This is relatable because even people born in this country face similar discrimination, especially now with our current president. For example, racial profiling can happen to anyone at any given moment because the media and our government have shown a negative light towards immigrants; specifically, for those Hispanic or religious persons. This film then focuses on the life of Maria and Jose's children, and how three out of the five were driven and motivated to becoming better. Unfortunately, two of them lacked that motivation, and they didn’t take into consideration how their parents struggled. They decided to go the route of joining gangs and stealing. They felt that this was the road to take because of the lack of support they had from our country they constantly felt like outsiders here and that they weren't going to amount to anything because they were just "poor Hispanic" boys. Although we have been trying to change these immigration laws and the discrimination that follows it, the U.S. has failed to improve how we treat and support these immigrants.
To begin, discrimination against the Hispanic people has been ever-present, as far back as the 1950s, and leading up to today. This is especially true when Americans feel vulnerable to attack. . The American people feel that it is their right to blame those of different race or ethnic background. Vibiana Andrave insists that "On some levels, Sept.11 raised the whole question of who belongs in this country and who doesn't. In doing that, it gave voice and permitted people to discriminate." When America was at its weakest after 9/11, anybody who was non-native was subjected to scrutinies by the American people. This, specifically, brought back feelings of animosity toward Hispanic people and other ethnicities. This is also something that Hispanic people are subjected to each and every time.
Mi Familia, which translates to my family, is a movie about the social injustice that is illegal immigration and discrimination. This film takes place in over 3 different generations of brothers and talks about the hardships each faced in the 40's, 60's, and 70's. This family faced hardships that ranged from an illegal deportation, racial tensions, and gang fights but, yet, the family remained strong. When you first look at the center of the poster you see the name of the film and that is My Family, Mi Familia, this tells us that it is going to be about the hardships that this family faces in a time of illegal immigration. The image is split right down the middle the top half is a close-up of the three different aged brothers, the Sanchez brothers. The first portrait is of middle child, Chucho Sanchez, the rebellious child, whose life comes to end due to gang violence and is shot dead by the LAPD. I believe that this is the reason why, as compared to the other brothers, his picture is young looking. Next, is the portrait of youngest brother Jimmy, who was the only family member that witnessed the death of his brother Chucho. His brother's death impacted him into becoming an angry man that wants to follow in his older brother’s footsteps. The final brother is the oldest brother, Paco, and he is acting as narrator and is retelling the story for the audience. In the bottom photo the mood changes, and it is of a vibrant wedding this leads us to believe that the story is going to be about the ups and downs that the family faces, and we are going to see this through the eyes its members. The first thing that catches my eye is the family photo and all of its members. In this poster you see each family member wearing fancy clothing; the males, with the exception of one, are wearing suits and the women are all wearing dresses. Also, you can see that one female is wearing a wedding dress this is going to symbolize a marriage for an ever-growing family. Large family households are common for the Hispanic culture and this family in particular is of Hispanic descent. In the background, you also see a white picket fence surrounded by pink flowers; this idea comes from the belief of the "American Dream." Lastly, they are all smiling; this tells us that although they faced hardships to get to this point they are relieved that they are able to raise their children in a place with more opportunities. This poster sends a hopeful message to those facing adversity, specifically, for those that face the adversity of being immigrants. America is portrayed as the land of opportunity, and those that live here wish to attain the ideal middle-class suburban lifestyle. The Sanchez family are hard-working individuals that will stop at nothing to make sure that their family is taken care of and that they are all together. Also, by using the experience of only three of the brothers the creator wants us to see the commonality of the human experiences. This means that although the focus is one specific family, every issue confronted by the characters is universal. It is appropriate that this poster has a family portrait and a white picket fence, the scenes are filled with the struggle of deportation and the struggle of returning to their home in America. The tagline is also fitting and it reads, "Three generations of dreams." This family, like many other families, just want to be able to provide for themselves and their loved ones. As I read more about immigration I am baffled by the reality that is this injustice. I look at this poster and think about the hopefulness families must have when they think about coming to this country, and I hope that this country in return can be the place where their dreams come true.
In "Depression, War, and Civil Rights," we learn about when Hispanic immigration started, how it changed through the years, and how it exploded into something that we couldn’t contain. When government officials first voted on letting immigrant citizens from Mexico into our country for work, the proponents and opponents agreed that it was undesirable for Mexicans to permanently become members of the U.S. (“Depression, War, and Civil Rights par.1). In 1922, Mexican immigrants made up most of the work force on the railing, of the first U.S railroads. Meaning, that this was one of the first major factors, aside from mining, to contribute to the need of low waged workers to work in the U.S. Since all politicians agreed that Mexican citizenship was undesirable, this led to the creation of the Border Patrol in 1925. By this time though, younger generations were building communities and creating identities in the U.S. Next, after the Great Depression, Mexicans that rooted themselves in the U.S. were receiving immense animosity and were being discriminated against for being undocumented and Hispanic. By World War II, the president wanted to use these citizens for the war effort and helped control and respond to discrimination in the Southwest (Depression, War, and Civil Rights par. 2). After the war, things seemed like they were going uphill for Hispanics a program was created that would provide more work for Hispanics, in order to extend their stay in this country. The "Bracero Program" gave immigrants the opportunity to earn a living; all the while, being able to benefit the Mexican economy. Unfortunately, in 1964 the program ended because our new president believed that immigration "reached new levels" and became like an invasion, but by this time it was too late. Illegal entry into our country exploded into massive proportions (Depression, War, and Civil Rights p. 5).
In the film, Maria faced a similar conflict when she was getting deported. Maria will always be seen as a loving mother who was a passionate provider and loving home-maker. When Maria married Jose, she was ready to start a family with him, and create a home for the two of them, like most women fantasize about doing. She had already given birth to two children, and nothing excited her more than becoming a mother again. It seems like in most Hispanic cultures, this is the time a woman looks most forward to in her life. They felt truly honored and blessed to have children, and little did they know Maria was expecting another baby. According to her husband, he felt that he had been receiving signs leading up to that day that he would be a father again. Then, there came a day where everything was going to change. The deportation scene captures Maria shopping at a market when there was a commotion outside. Border patrol officials were loading up any citizen who looked Mexican onto a train in order to deport them. Maria pleaded with the officials to let her go to her family, and that she belonged here. The officials showed little to no emotion when rounding up the people, and just shoved them into the train. A desperate, pregnant, Maria was the only one pleading to be let go and to be able to see her family. At last though, she was deported without being able to say good bye to her husband or children. Once across the border, she was determined to return to her family one way or another, but, at last, this happened when her son was a bit older. It was a time after the Great Depression, and politicians felt this was a necessary evil to alleviate what was going on economically. This was around the time that the, "Bracero Program," agreement was ending and politicians realized that the number of undocumented immigrants working for this country were to blame for the economy. This operation became known as the controversial "Operation Wetback." This was a 1954 Mexican Border enforcement initiative that participated in brutal deportation raids (Post-War Years par. 4). Not only did they believe the immigrants were bad for the economy, they also believed that since we just got out of a war, that the people were a threat to the country, and there was worry about them being "criminal aliens." This scene is a vivid interpretation of this "Operation Wetback" enforcement. We see it as Maria, a stay-at-home mother who was just trying to raise her family, was subjected to this unfair discriminatory act. Thousands of families were ripped apart by this controversial happening, and it wasn't until the backlash politicians received that they created a type of "relief" for the families. Until 1965, there was an amendment that replaced the 1952 immigration law, and this was designed to "reunited immigrant families and attract skilled immigrants to the United States" (Post-War Years par.5). Maria's scene was a harsh reality for Hispanic families after the war, and it seems that the president was remorseful and wanted to right his wrong.
We are now facing a similar predicament, like our ancestors before us, with our current presidency. In the article "Hispanics see harm in debate over immigration," describes the problem of racial discrimination, against Hispanics, in the United States. The author, Alan Fram, proposes that there has been an increase, in politics, on the attention to illegal immigration and this has brought forth an increase in discrimination. Even though foreign-born citizens have high concerns, this has sparked an increase in concern for native-born citizens in the U.S. as well. Statistically, more than half the people who were surveyed said that the increased attention on immigration has hurt them personally. If this continues we will have a similar uprising as other racial discriminatory movements. It's true. I personally, have seen or fell victim to discriminatory remarks because all the media attention towards Hispanics. Our president should be doing more to address this manner properly. Paul Taylor, acting director of the Kaiser Family Foundation, believes that our present political environment is leaving all the Hispanics in this country feeling vulnerable. Those that do not have papers, are feeling like they are going to be kicked out as soon as possible, and those that are from this country are awaiting the backlash that they are going to receive once this is in full effect. As a person of Hispanic culture, I can imagine how upset they feel and the dread that is awaiting. For some, these are some of the things that makes us shy away from having any involvement in politics. It's just better to blend in with the masses if possible. Fram closes with a very important statistic claiming that: "One in three say that nationally, the situation for Hispanics has worsened over the past year..." As a nation, how can we allow our media and politicians to feed into us that not being born into this country is bad. How can we allow them to trick us into being hateful people, and into making anybody who is different in this country feel unsafe while here?
In Mi Familia, Jimmy battles against what many immigrants face. He's chasing his American Dream. At the same time he's fighting against discrimination the entire way. Jimmy Sanchez, last born into the Sanchez Family, not only was he the baby of the family, but he was also the only witness in the murder of his eldest brother "Chucho." Jimmy was born to two immigrant parents, Maria and Jose, and journeys to find himself as a Hispanic boy living in poverty. We follow him in this journey, all the while as he carries this hate in his heart, after seeing two LAPD officers shoot his brother, just because "they could." Jimmy, is a thin man, who begins to dress like his deceased brother by wearing "gangster" clothing, hair slicked back, and moustache. An example of "gangster" clothing is, an oversized flannel buttoned to the top, paired with high-waisted pants, and a black belt. As part of the persona he takes on, the language that he uses is vulgar and he uses a cold tone when addressing people. The death of his brother is a contributing factor to everything in this character's life because of how he dies. This was a time of discrimination against Hispanics, and police saw them as being a danger that wouldn't hesitate to attack. This has affected his life because he stopped having motivation in doing anything with himself and, in fact, became a loner. The other characters feared approaching or upsetting him because they thought it would set him off into yelling and becoming angry. Until he meets Isabel, a girl on the verge of deportation to a country that would kill her once she stepped foot of the plane. His sister convinces him that by marrying Isabel, he would get back at the system that failed his brother. He later falls in love with her because they shared a similar experience in seeing someone they loved die. He shares that he has an anger that consumes him and numbs him and it "drowns everything else out." The hate that my character feels is one that derives from injustice, because it was the police that discriminated against his brother. Also, later in the movie it is revealed that his wife died while giving birth and this brings him back to his anger toward injustice, because he felt that if she had been attended by the "rich doctors" this would’ve never happened. What makes my character tick, is having to live his life being discriminated against because he is a "poor Hispanic boy."
The movie critic, Roger Ebert, rated the film, Mi Familia, as a four out of four-star film. The reason being, that he believes there are few films made on these controversial topics and they aren't as refreshing as this film. He goes on to say that this film "embraces life," and that few filmmakers do not have the ambition to open themselves up to creating such films (Ebert par. 3). Also, he believes that this is a "GREAT American Story," that is retelling how families came to this land, in order to, create better opportunities for their children. I agree with the Ebert because this film had a very real, refreshing perspective, not only on immigration but on family unity and family values. Also, this film captured the brutal reality of coming from a low-income family and; as a result, not having the resources or support to properly figure out how to succeed in this society. Jose was a young, Mexican boy, whom had nobody left in Mexico after the war; consequently, decided to embark on the journey to "a village called Los Angeles" where he had a relative. As a result of staying with this family friend, he decides to cross the bridge to the "White" neighborhood, where he meets a nanny, Maria, and his soon to be wife. After two children, Maria becomes pregnant but, after the Great Depression, she was deported. In fact, Maria was a citizen but as a result of the Great Depression, anybody who looked Hispanic was deported in hopes that they wouldn’t return. Eventually, her children grow up and we follow them through the different choices and paths they take. The film then focuses on her child, Jimmy, who has resentment against any authoritative figure, and for good reason. He had seen the injustice of discrimination first hand, on his brother and wife. In the end, however, not only did he come to terms with his internal turmoil but he also found the motivation to father his child. The film ended with Jimmy asking his son to move to Texas with him because he needed to go and "find himself" there. Jimmy was willed with such hatred and resentment, that it left him feeling numb. Specifically, in the scene where his wife, Isabel, dies and we see Jimmy finally reach his breaking point. In fact, it was as if every injustice that he faced exploded out of him, because he believed the doctors didn’t do all that they could to save his wife, since she was poor and Hispanic. After jimmy's relieving, he ended up in jail for beating up the doctor. All In all, I believe that Gregory Nava did an excellent job on this film, because he captures every aspect of discrimination and immigration. Ebert summed up the movie perfectly when saying, "Their story is the story of one Mexican-American family, but it is also in some ways the story of all families." I heavily agree with this statement because I can relate on the issues of discrimination and how hard it is to find yourself coming from a low-income Hispanic family. Lastly, I highly recommend this movie because it is an all-around good film that captures relatable content for any content.
Works Cited
"Poll: Latinos face discrimination; 'Process of change': Many also see opportunities in America." Telegraph-Herald Telegraph Herald. Pro Quest. Web. 18 Dec 2002.
Fram, Alan. "Hispanics see Harm in debate over immigration." Oakland Tribune Bay Area News Group. Pro Quest. Web. 4 Dec 2007.
"Post-War Years." USCIS. https://www.uscis.gov/history-and-genealogy/our-history/agency-history/post-war-years. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
"Depression, War, and Civil Rights." US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. http://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/HAIC/Historical-Essays/Separate-Interests/Depression-War-Civil-Rights/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Web.
"Mexican Immigrants in the United States." Migrationpolicy.org. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/mexican-immigrants-united-states (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Web. 02 Mar. 2017.
Orchowski, Margaret. "How Hispanics Influenced The Law That Changed The Face Of America." The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. Pro Quest. Web. 28 Sep 2015.
Ebert, Roger. “My Family Movie Review & Film Summary (1995) | Roger Ebert.” RogerEbert.com, Anna Thomas, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/my-family-1995 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Web. 3 May 1995.