El Norte _ Natalie Sharp

 The film El Norte painted the whole picture of these two young people's immigration journey. From why they left, to their journey across the border, and their new struggles in the United States every part of the way they were meant with more barriers. It was almost as if with every once of good fortune they say, they were also mean with twice the amount of challenges. They make their way to the border, but then someone tries to rob them and border patrol takes them in. They finally meet someone to help them cross, but they have to crawl through a virus-infected tunnel. They find work, but then immigration tries to capture them. In their home village and throughout Latin America, there is this highly idealized idea of what coming to the United States could mean for them. People from their village made it sound like getting there would be the hardest part, and getting to the United States was almost described as making it to a holy land. Unfortunately, we see how once they get to the States their struggles only continue. There was this promise of freedom and safety and a better life, but living undocumented is anything but living free. There is a constant fear in their workplace and home life of being taken by immigration services. There are few work opportunities that pay next to nothing, and there is a huge language barrier that makes them easy targets for manipulation. The longer these characters spend in the United States the more nostalgia they seem to have for their past. The film makes constant subtle references to their past lives in Guatemala and communicates a sadness for what they had to leave behind. They left behind their friends, family, community, and home in search of a better life only to end up in almost an equally bad situation. In the end of the film Enrique is still only valued for his labor. In the United States, especially states on the border of Mexico, a lot of their economy depends on the cheap labor they can get from immigrants. Immigrants are not a threat to the economy or politics, rather they are an essential part of how this country operates. We are also an entire nation of immigrants. We took over this land from the Native Americans and populated it with immigrants. We are known for being a melting pot of cultures in the United States, which is why much of the anti-immigration propaganda is so contradictory. 



Comments

  1. Catherine BolzendahlMarch 6, 2023 at 3:31 PM

    You've identified some key aspects and themes in the film and raise some pointed questions. I find myself asking similar questions. I would have enjoyed seeing you start with those questions and use the film to make your points. Perhaps also break up the post into a couple sections to organize your ideas?

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