Written by: Will Garstka
INTRODUCTION Americans love to argue no matter the subject and many tend to have very strong opinions when immigration policy is the topic. There’s constantly the dilemma over who should and shouldn’t be allowed in our country for many reasons yet people never ask themselves why immigration occurs or consider what an immigrant personally experiences throughout this process. Hispanic immigrants are often misrepresented in the media and this results in the generation of the stereotypes we hear about in today’s society. This research paper will dive into the differences present between the ideas we are fed through the media and their comparison to the ones we see in Hispanic films. The comparison will evaluate both representations and conclude which holds more accurate information.
This picture captures the idea of the struggle of immigration as the family attempts to climb the border/
This picture displays struggling immigrants trying to find life in America. This type of photo is what generates the idea that immigrants are pollutants, as described in the research.
This photo shows the virtual reality work-life concept in the futuristic movie, Sleep Dealer. It acts as a metaphor to how challenging real immigration is.
ANALYSIS
In the media, Americans are constantly fed false information about immigration for many reasons. The main reason this continues to happen is a result of anti-immigration influences that are encouraged to produce articles that will sway Americans’ views to support an immigration block. Suffering is portrayed in the majority of Hispanic immigration films and shows us all of the true emotions that come with immigration. No individual wants to leave everything behind and move from their hometown to a place where they will illegally live and the media doesn’t help people understand that. Overall, Hispanic immigration is completely misrepresented in the news and blinds Americans to the challenging real-life immigration experiences that Hispanics live through. These experiences are accurately displayed very often in Hispanic films, yet the themes found in the films never make it to the media. Ultimately, this will come down to the morality of Americans to want to help others in need while building a stronger diverse society or to leave these struggling immigrants on their own.
This is the virtual workplace in the movie Sleep Dealer and seconds the idea that immigrants are put into much harder living situations than the media portrays it to be.
This photo represents the moral issues with bias in the news. If everyone was un bias we would live in a much happier and understanding world. This photo should make you question your morals and views when it comes to immigration.
Works Cited
Sleep Dealer. Directed by Alex Rivera, Likey Story, This Is That Productions, 2008
Montgomery, D. Alex Rivera's lost cult hit "Sleep dealer" about immigration and drones is back, 2014 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/07/07/alex-riveras-lost-cult-hit-sleep-dealer-about-immigration-and-drones-is-back/.
Lind, D. Why border crossings are at an 11-year high, explained in 500 words, https://www.vox.com/2019/3/6/18253444/border-statistics-illegal-immigration-trump.
19, M.S.S. Trash at the Border highlights the environmental cost of illegal immigration, https://cis.org/Sussis/Trash-Border-Highlights-Environmental-Cost-Illegal-Immigration.