Friday, January 27, 2012

A day without a Mexican

A Day Without a Mexican, I found to be a very humorous film, but a very true film. As I watched the film I could not help but think of all the people I wanted to show this film too, including my parents. I would not necessarily call my family or friends racist, but defiantly misinformed just as I was. Many of the stereotypes discussed in the film are the same stereotypes that I believed in.  I was upset that so many Latinos came to American and did not speak English. I thought that they did take the “white” person job.  And I did not believe that illegal immigrants should be allowed to live here. That changed when I made Mexican friends and learned that they were not all legal. It changes your perspective to have a friend actually in the stereotype. Many illegal immigrants I know my own age have lived here, about the same amount of time I have.  I was also fortunate to meet a Mexican American male whom I am dating, and he and his family have opened my eyes up to their culture. I have learned how fortunate America is that there are Latinos. They taught me how most Mexicans can speak English they just choose not to because they do not want to communicate with us (white people). I then notice how Latinos take many of the jobs that white people will not do, jobs that we need such as the fruit pickers in the movie. One of my close friends may not be legal, but he told me how he has tried to get citizenship three times, every time being refused. His biggest passion is to gain citizenship and join in the Army. When I asked him why, he simply told me. I love this country, they have gave me everything, I just want to give back to it a little of what it has gave me. How do you answer this? I never could.