Latino Immigration and Border Conflicts Represented in the Media 1

The Representation of Immigration and Border Conflicts in the Latino Community Through the

Mass Media

Brian Aparicio

University of Houston
 Latino Immigration and Border Conflicts Represented in the Media 2

Abstract

The Latino community is one that is sometimes viewed as if they are under a microscope

by the world, but this is mainly due to the objectification of the mass media. This is a product of

the biases and stereotypes presented by film, television shows, the news and articles that paint

these negative pictures and group the Latino community together. One popular representation is

that of the immigration and border conflicts between countries. The media fuels these topics and

creates television shows and films that misrepresent, exaggerate, and distort the real truth and the

origins of these conflicts. The research presented and the methodology strongly represents the

biases and carefully examines the media, the conflicts and the possible solutions.
 Latino Immigration and Border Conflicts Represented in the Media 3

The Latino Representation of Immigration and Border Conflicts through the Mass Media

The Media has the power to represent huge groups of people in different ways,

sometimes objectifying the truth and distorting the truth. The Latino community already faces

misrepresentation in the media. Films, television, and newspaper articles focus on limited Latino

topics that either include immigration, the drug wars, or border conflicts between the United

States and Mexico. The real question lies in why this keeps on happening so frequently. This

paper will analyze and try to find an answer to the various biases and stigmas and more that

overpopulates the media and misrepresents the Latino community.

Literature Review

David Toohey provides analysis and insight into the views of immigration and border

politics in his dissertation properly titled Immigration, Space, Time, And Border Politics: The

Persistence of Touch of Evil in Contemporary U.S. Media. He is giving a critique to a novel, yet

the thematic elements present are very true in the media. He strongly talks about the conflicts

that go on in the Mexico/ United States border. One being the smuggling of drugs and the

smuggling of immigrants. “This higher impact can be understood through stories about how

Mexicans are harmed by the drug trade. Mexican people are often intimidated by drug cartels

whose actions ranging from murders of civilians to slain police officer, to ensure that the law

does not hamper the drug trade” (Toohey 20). One problem outlying in the media is the

relationships between Mexico and its own people. The own people in Mexico are scared of the

government, due to the violence that has been imposed due to the media overanalyzing it. With

this picture being painted in U.S. news every single day, it is quite hard to think highly of what

might be happening down in Mexico and what is being done to stop it. This analysis is
 Latino Immigration and Border Conflicts Represented in the Media 4

something that Tooley explains is very baroque and distorted. His analysis is very well presented

and provides depth and analysis into the situations at hand.

Maria Ruiz discusses the implications of border conflicts in her article dealing with

border narratives and how the media represents this. “Though the nation and the body provide a

starting point for analyzing how large scale social and cultural forces shape Latino health,

theories of the border based on the U.S. Mexico border speak more to the social, cultural and

political struggles of Latinos within” (Ruiz 18). What is striking about her commentary is the

inclusion of NAFTA and how certain policies shaped the border back then and provides a deep

comparison to how the border is now. With the new president and the new administration, the

U.S. and Mexico border has become a huge ad campaign for a stronger wall. The media has

categorized, centralized and shoved this idea down the throats of many Americans and the truth

is that it is not promised. Her argument becomes quite meaningful and dense when discussing the

implications of the thousands of Latinos that come to the United States, who cross these borders

and are categorized in such negative ways that it becomes hard for them to leave the stigma

behind. The stigma is further radicalized in the media, which spends every single day creating

stories about border conflicts, ICE raids and deportations. However, when is the fine line drawn

and where does it end?

Suzanne Oboler is another author who speaks out on the immigration and border conflicts

but focuses on Latinas. This is an approach that is definitely different but shows how gender still

has a lot to do in categorizing immigrants throughout the media. “Thus, at the very least, the

experience of the struggle for rights by different groups in established democracies raises the

question of the viability of building a movement for rights based on the specificity of a particular

group's identity and experience in light of the need to acknowledge the role of the struggle for
 Latino Immigration and Border Conflicts Represented in the Media 5

citizenship for the common good” (Oboler 294). She discusses the struggles that women face and

how they differ from the men. The media usually categorizes immigrant women differently.

They are guilty of sexualizing women at times. But the truth is, most of these women migrate to

the United States to try and provide better lives for their families back home. They take low

income jobs if lucky enough to make it across the border without getting caught by border patrol

and slave for hours in order to make enough money to send back. This is a theme that is

particularly common. It is used in various films, seen in many television shows and is talked

about in the media every single day. It seems as if they have become so used to choosing stories

about immigrant women living in the United States, working to better themselves and then

negating their actions and saying they are wrong overall for even coming to a country that is not

rightfully theirs. It is quite ludicrous to think about it but must due to the various discussions it

brings up. Latina immigrants will always be a hot topic and will not change.

Delia Poey is another author that dives into the work of borders in her article titled

Border crossers and coyotes: A reception study of Latin American and Latina/o Literatures. The

concept of border is something that can be physical but also emotional. Borders can be

interpreted in many different ways. “Borders are imaginary lines, drawn to invoke the effect of

containment. The illusion is enforced by fences, walls, bold black lines on a map or so called

"natural" borders, such as water. They are constructed for purposes of inclusion as well as

exclusion. They are meant to keep things and people in as much as keep them out. To subvert the

purpose of a border is an act of contamination, a violation of the principle of containment” (Poey

1). She begins her analysis by showing how exactly borders are meant to be used. They are

meant to be inclusive and exclusive at the same time. The media has adapted this state of mind

and revolutionized it. The government has adapted this state of mind and used it as a campaign
 Latino Immigration and Border Conflicts Represented in the Media 6

for exclusion to those that do not belong in the country. Border talks are highly common in the

media as “the wall” is a slogan that is being used left and right by all parties. It has become more

than just a physical wall, but an exclusive state of mind. Those that are undocumented are the

ones that struggle the most and therefore embark on a journey that is quite life or death. “For

undocumented workers, the stakes are of course much higher, often a matter of life and death”

(Poey 9). The journey and the conflicts immigrants face are not properly reprecented in the

media but are therefore marginalized and exploited in order to fit the bills. It is quite crazy to

think about all the implications that come with this but definitely not uncommon. Poey does a

great job at making this aware and providing more context towards the concepts of borders.

Reflection

The representation of Latinos in the media faces different implications and connotations. The

media tries to focus on topics such as drug wars, border conflicts and immigration. They are

presented in the news every single day. However, when do they become too much? After various

articles and various concepts, it is safe to agree that the media marginalizes on the fact that

immigrants do not belong and they are dangerous. The media begins to show these concepts due

to the film industry including it in their films. They leave a bad taste in the mouths of millions

which is of course, not true. The Latino border conflicts are something that have gotten out of

hand in being represented and are becoming much more fictitious than anything. It is quite true

that the media does this on purpose but when is the fine line crossed and when will real

representations of what actually goes on be shown?

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References

Oboler, Suzanne. Narratives of National (Be)longing: Citizenship, Race, and the Creation of

Latinas‘ Ethnicities in Exile in the United States, Social Politics: International Studies in

Gender, State & Society, Volume 3, Issue 2-3, 1 July 1996, Pages 291–315.

Poey, D. M. (1996). Border crossers and coyotes: A reception study of Latin American and

Latina/o literatures

Ruiz, M. V. (2005). Border narratives, Latino health, and united states media representation: A

cultural analysis.

Toohey, D. E. (2010). Immigration, space, time, and border politics: The persistence of “Touch

of evil” in contemporary U.S. media visions of the borderlands