So did you catch the first episode of Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days like I asked? ;-)
Well, if you didn't you missed a pretty compelling hour of televion on the issue of immigration (in the first run of the series, the episode is not yet scheduled to repeat). The premise for last week's episode (just got to it last night!) was a Minuteman (and Cuban legal immigrant) moving in with an illegal immigrant family of seven living in Los Angeles (two of the five children were born in the U.S.).
The show definitely has a liberal/left bent... so, of course, the Minuteman (Frank) was the "bad" guy in this little social experiment... and personality-wise, being kind of jerk didn't lend much sympathy to his cause in the opening segments of the show (i.e., turning a high school graduation celebration into a heated debated about immigration).
But, as the show (and days) progressed there was a noticeable change in Frank... shockingly enough, the immigrant family were "real people" ... very family-oriented, hard working, and quite pleasant. However, the major momentum shift occurred when Frank visited their extended family back in Mexico. Here Frank (along with us viewers) saw the poverty-stricken conditions that caused the Gonzalez (a pseudonym to protect their identities) family to seek a better life in America. That "better" life being a $15,000 income and a tiny 500 square foot apartment in LA.
The show was filled with heartbreaking moments... the mom recycling cans and cartons to save up for Christmas gifts for her children (she received $5 which brought her tally up to $38 for the year), their inability to visit/see their family (even on their deathbeds) for the very likely fear that they would not be able to get back into the country... and the "star" of the episodes, 17-year old "Armida" who so eloquently quizzed Frank on his stance... and her strong desire to have the American dream and be the first member of her family to attend college.
That said, it wasn't an hour of the pollyanna pro-immigration... any reasonable person (and I am including myself) certainly couldn't find fault/disagree with all of Frank's beliefs. The show started very "black and white" and left everyone (the participants, viewers) feeling very "grey." There has to be some middle-ground solution... not amnesty or "ship them all back where they came from." What that solution is... or how the heck we'll ever get there, I really don't know.
Somewhat embarassingly, I don't know what it takes to gain U.S. citizenship. I am guessing the barriers are so high that is why that would-be immigrants see the illegal route as the only viable alternative... but I also understand, there have to be some limitations/restrictions as well... and/or countries that have so many people who want to leave have to figure out a way to improve living/working conditions (again, easier said than done) for their citizens.
It was a very emotional end to the show. Frank was sad about leaving the Gonzalezes and you sensed really had sincere empathy for their predicament... and the Mom cried as she hugged Frank goodbye... the man who 30 days prior told her, pretty much to her face, that she needed to be shipped back to Mexico... and dare I say, that many folks sitting in the comfort of their homes also had a lump in their throats... this viewer certainly did.
Comments