Spaces and Exchanges : Mexican immigration

EMBOUAZZA                                                 Synthèse d’Anglais

Imane

TSTMG2

Introduction :

1/Define the notion of Spaces and exchanges 

      The notion of space and trade requires the movement of people or goods between countries through immigration, tourism and trade. Interactions and exchanges across the borders have become easier and faster. But it has not always been the case.

2/What the problem with Mexican immigrants wanting to make the American dream come true ? (use the song Americanos and the video’crossingtheborder)

      The American dream is an illusion, it is not accessible to everyone. The mentality of the Americans is not the same as that of the Mexicans.

We can take a look at Holly Johnson's "Americanos" or we can see two families watching a Lottery program on TV. One is a white American family the other a family of Mexican immigrants. The white American family looks at the program but does not care about it while the Gomez family is particularly fascinated by the program. They believe in the lie of TV and think that to be rich and successful you have to is town the lottery.

      There is also the fact that to realize the American dream some are ready to leave their lives.

For example, on the video "Risking it all: Across the border" where we can see immigrants aiming to reach America, they call it "Impossible Dream" because to reach it they have to hide on the roofs of goods trains or between cars. They sometimes fall into the traps of the police who wait for them in the middle of the countryside. For women the danger is to be raped on some trains for that they defend themselves with a machete. There are also very difficult conditions such as cold, hunger, insecurity, fatigue. Once in RIO GRANDE they must cross the river or the water is cold and the danger of drowning is high.

3/Compare the two woman in the movie. What conclusion can you draw about the fate of Mexican women on the US border ?

      The two main characters in the movie are two women both girls are on the same origin as they both were born in mexico but many differences separate them and account for the fact that their lifestyles are completetly different.

      Eva, the young woman who almost died after being raped and strangled by one of the serial killers who have kept on attacking women who are all between 17 and 40 years old of age, is a young mexican-indian girl who works in one of the maquiladoras on the US Mexican border.

Contrary to the journalist, Eva doesn’t have a great fulfilling job. She works hard and is underpaid in one of the numerous factories along the border. She believes in the Devil and is strongly religious and superslious. She is naive, poor and ineducated. If she crossed the border to go to the US she would become a maid, a waitness in a bar or a prestitute

      Like Eva, the journalist was born in Mexico and her father got killed in front of her eyes. But, contrary, to Eva, who was raised by her mother, the journalist was adopted by a weathly American family who provided her with a good US education. She is very brave dever and true to life. She doesn’t believe in God. She believe in herself. She knows that to succed in America, it takes a lot of work and patience. You can not have a carreer without making some sacrifice. She doesn’t have a real family life but she has a very valuable job as a journalist. She has been able to climb up the social laddie and to lift up her social condition. You can’t live the American Dream without making some choices and sacrifices.

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