The biggest Immigration Customs Enforcement raid in the U.S. took place in Postville, Iowa. People from Guatemala migrated there so that they could find work. I found this documentary to very interesting because we were able to see the point of view of both the people in Guatemala and the immigrants in the U.S. And then because of this, we are able to understand why they migrate to the U.S.
The people of Guatemala couldn't find jobs in their country and so when they heard about all the jobs in the U.S, they decided to come. After watching the film, I am able to understand this better. I think that if they are coming to the U.S. for work, then that it should be okay. If we want them to be legalized, then the process should become easier because these people from other countries need the jobs now so that they can feed their families. They don't have the time to wait.
I thought it was wrong how kids from Guatemala were working 12 hour days in the U.S. and sometimes wouldn't even get paid for all the hours that they worked. Also, some of the kids weren't even allowed to eat, drink, or use the bathroom during the time that they were there. The kids should be in school instead of working to support their families. They should be able to live a life like a normal kid and not have to take on the responsibility of providing money for their family at such a young age.
I think children shouldn't have to suffer through these conditions. From the film, I was able to see the poverty that exists in Guatemala. These kids have to grow up there and live with very little. They need the appropriate food to nourish their bodies and they are unable to get this when they are living in these terrible conditions. I think if the U.S. would make migration easier for people of other countries,then immigration wouldn't be such a big issue.
Overall, I think that even though, this raid most likely occurred so that they could set an example, people are still going to migrate here. People still need work and they don't care what the consequences are, they have to provide for their families and the only way they can do this is to find a job.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Filmmaker
The first experience event that I went to here at Albright, was the filmmakers event that featured Jem Cohen. I expected it to be like the typical Hollywood films, but instead it was something completely different. The films were documentaries and they captured the images and realities of everyday life.
My favorite film was called One Bright Day,which involved a guy talking about his life in the US military. He talked about what he had experienced and then I could see what his life had become as he was showed sleeping in the streets in New York. I was able to see how real his situation was and it made me feel sad to see how some people actually have to live. I think these films are interesting because I am not used to watching real people and their lives on TV. Instead, I am used to watching all of the movies that always seem to have some sort of happy ending and aren't actually the realities of most people. But for some of these people in the film, I don't know if things will ever get better for them. When watching real life films, I never know what is going to happen next. This is what makes them so interesting to watch.
During this same film, I noticed all of the advertising in the background. I don't think that Jem meant to include this in his film, it just happened to be where the guy was located at. I couldn't help but notice the signs because I thought of media literacy class when we talked about advertising. Advertising plays a huge role in our lives. I think this is proved because the film is about everyday life and since advertising is included in that it can be true.
Overall, I found my first experience to be very interesting. Now I will not only think of films as just being Hollywood movies, but I will also think about other types such as documentaries. Usually when I go to the movies, I know what to expect. I at least know a little bit about the plot and could probably guess the ending. But when I viewed the documentary films, I didn't know what to expect because anything could have happened because it showed people's real life.
My favorite film was called One Bright Day,which involved a guy talking about his life in the US military. He talked about what he had experienced and then I could see what his life had become as he was showed sleeping in the streets in New York. I was able to see how real his situation was and it made me feel sad to see how some people actually have to live. I think these films are interesting because I am not used to watching real people and their lives on TV. Instead, I am used to watching all of the movies that always seem to have some sort of happy ending and aren't actually the realities of most people. But for some of these people in the film, I don't know if things will ever get better for them. When watching real life films, I never know what is going to happen next. This is what makes them so interesting to watch.
During this same film, I noticed all of the advertising in the background. I don't think that Jem meant to include this in his film, it just happened to be where the guy was located at. I couldn't help but notice the signs because I thought of media literacy class when we talked about advertising. Advertising plays a huge role in our lives. I think this is proved because the film is about everyday life and since advertising is included in that it can be true.
Overall, I found my first experience to be very interesting. Now I will not only think of films as just being Hollywood movies, but I will also think about other types such as documentaries. Usually when I go to the movies, I know what to expect. I at least know a little bit about the plot and could probably guess the ending. But when I viewed the documentary films, I didn't know what to expect because anything could have happened because it showed people's real life.
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