The film a Day without a Mexican by Sergio Arau, filmed in 2004 highlighted the significance and impact of the Mexican/Chicano in our society. This film employs us to put aside our political opinion and see the socioeconomic contribution of the Mexican people. The film highlights, sometimes in a comedic way, the avenues the director used to draw attention the point of “Making the visible, invisible.” He showed a weed blower on the ground with the engine running and no one attending to it. Not showing it with the intent that someone just let it there, but it eluded to the area beatification/yard service businesses that many Mexican immigrants have. Many of their customers who own houses and business employ their services.
Who would do this task today, if in fact this was the catastrophe of the day? Not to say that no one else could do it, but we generally employ people to do things, so we can have more time to do other things. For instance, run errands, spend more time with the family or even just do something else I prefer to do. Another instance was a carwash, where the employees were not there or in this case vanished, but the owners still tried to carry on business as usual; something they were unable to do. It portrayed the dysfunction of how it would be in a business of this magnitude. The employees vanished and the carwash was in a chaotic situation. The film identified certain jobs that many of the Mexicans immigrants often find themselves doing to provide income necessary to support their families.
I also found the context interesting in the film/documentary, “A Day Without a Mexican,” thought provoking when a wife wakes up from sleep only to discover her husband had vanished. Of course, he must have been a Mexican immigrant. Often, we are premeditated on our stance of an issue without considering any of the major impacts of a decision not thought through well; not investigated thoroughly. What is the impact of an absent father/husband in the family unit? Now this son lacks a major piece in his life. Now the daughter loses an example of a daddy’s love for his daughter which researchers have concluded to be very important in her life. The house loses another provider who is shouldering the burden of ensuring his family’s needs are met. And the wife who now has to represent both mama and daddy in the household. Yes, “A Day Without a Mexican would have cataclysmic ripples through our society. Often one’s single lens analysis tends to fall short of addressing other critical themes, if in reality something like this really happens.
Another instance that resonated with me was the audacity of the news caster and crew, who drove around the community looking for external evidence of the impact of Mexicans absent from their place of business. They drove up to Walmart and said, “look at the parking lot, business is still going on. They drove to a eating establishment and began noticing that there were cars in the parking lot, which was an indication that business was still being conducted. The newscaster intended to the look to the misconception that everything on the outside appears to be going is normal and although a part of our society is gone, they have not been missed. How unintelligent and uninformed for someone to conclude that even though a major segment of our society/community is missing, their impact would be easily remedied and there would be no residual effects of this phenomena.
The film brought to light some of the stigma associated with being a Mexican immigrant in the United States. However, it was not the conclusion that the Mexican immigrant has little to no significance in our society. How contrary and counterproductive and even prejudice is an attitude as this. The Mexican immigrant is a significant part of our communities, cities and our families. Their role in our society is just as significant as any other. There is a problem because our integration issue must be revisited and corrected. There should be a pathway to citizenship in the United States that is clear and opportunistic for those who want to be here and contribute to our society. We could not rebound from the absence of the Mexican in our society.
Hello Vance,
I like your film review and agree with you. Specially the fact where you point out that it would be ignorant to assume that society would continue the same without no loss to the economy if this was a true even, A Day Without a Mexican!
even though a Day Without a Mexican was an immediate event where Mexicans disappeared, it could be compared to U.S’ Operation Wetback that was implemented in May 1954 by U.S. attorney General Herbert Brownel, primarily as a response to pressure from a broad coalition of farmers and business interests concerned with the effects of Mexican immigrants living in the United States without legal permission.
I agree with you in that Latino(as) play significant role in our society along with all people that come to the county of great opportunity. I believe that the Latino workforce is very important to the United States. Latino workers contribute a lot into our US economy. They are, in a way, always in the background and most people don’t notice all the ways the contribute to our society. Great review!
Thank you for bringing to light the fact that every member of society is needed and would be missed if they were suddenly removed one day. This is a true reality for many families that are comprised of at least one illegal immigrant that contributes to their household and the local economy in the cities where they live. It seems that this film presented this idea in an exaggerated manner because a major exodus is highly unlikely, but this is a major issue in politics today. Mexicans are accused of taking jobs from Americans, but would most Americans be willing to do the types of jobs that are highlighted in this film? I am inclined to think that the answer would be no, so one cannot really imagine life without Mexicans!
I agree with you when you say that we don’t consider the facts and how they highlighted some of the scenes in the film like the weed blower running by itself but not indicating that it could have been just left by anyone. This film was very funny but were they laughing at us or with us my father would say. Your blog was on point.