Crossing Arizona is a 2006 film directed by Daniel DeVivo and Joseph Matthew. The film captures the grim realities of illegal immigration in South West America. The film was inspired by issues emanating from illegal immigration of people from Central America and Mexico as they cross through the Arizona desert (Mathew & DeVivo 2). The film depicts women and children in their thousands crossing the hot Arizona deserts to reunite with their families.
The rising death toll due to the harsh weather conditions and lack of water prompts issues on human rights, class, labor, culture and national security. Humanitarian groups led by Mike Wilson, a Native American activist place water along paths in the desert commonly used by the immigrants. The humanitarian groups believe that the immigrants are victims of economic circumstances and do not deserve for lack of basic needs such as water (Mathew & DeVivo 2). Chris Simcox on the other hand, has established a citizen patrol group (The Minutemen) whose work is to guard the Arizona/Mexico border with weapons. Through the debates by people on both sides of the issues, the film explores the social and political circumstances that have contributed to human suffering in the Arizona desert.
What the film illustrates
The film illustrates several issues on the sociology of immigration. It illustrates resistance, restrictions, legislations and policies regarding immigration in United States. The film emphasizes on the migration of people due to neoclassical economics-the people immigrating through the Arizona desert are doing so in search of jobs and better lives. They seek to balance the equilibrium (supply and demand) in the US labor market.
The film also illustrates the importance of cohesive family units as women and children cross through a harsh desert to reunite with their husbands. Moreover, the issues of social class and culture come to the fore as the immigrants work in lowly paying jobs. The immigrants provide labor to farmers who use them against the laws governing labor in the United States.
Moreover, the suffering and deaths of people as they cross the Arizona desert pits humanity against US immigration policies. It exposes the flaws in the US policies governing immigration and seeks to offer a correctional stance by suggesting that the preservation of human life and the alleviation of human suffering should override security, unemployment and other secondary concerns.
Ideas and questions the film raises
Crossing Arizona touches on critical humanitarian issues. It was emotional watching the film and seeing people die for lack of a basic need so abundant in nature-water. Government concerns such as national security, unemployment, escalation of drug trade among others should not prompt it to implement policies that violate human rights (Portes & Ruben 12). The government should temper the measures to curb illegal immigration with humanitarian measures such as the provision of basic needs of water, food and shelter. This should be followed by humane deportation.
However, the question, that looms large remains, how does the government ensure that the American society is not eroded by insecurity, drugs, unemployment among other issues if, not by implementing strict immigration laws? I think the sanity of the American society can be maintained through the adoption of pro-active rather than reactive approaches when it comes to immigration. I think it would be a brilliant idea if the US government implemented policies to encourage substantial American investment in the countries of the immigrants’ origin. This would empower the economies of those countries and provide employment to the citizens of those countries thus curbing immigration. Moreover, border patrols should be enhanced to prevent immigrants moving into the country and risking their lives by crossing through dangerous zones such as the Arizona desert.
Works cited
Mathew, Joseph and Devivo Daniel. Crossing Arizona. Rainlake Productions 106 Franklin Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10013. 2006. Web, April, 7 2012:
http://www.crossingaz.com/other_files/pdfs/caz_presskit_110606.pdf.
Portes, Alejandro and Rubén G. Rumbaut. Immigrant America: A Portrait (3rd edition).
Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London: University of California Press. 2006. Print
