Interview Social Analysis
Magdalena Camarena is a mother of one of my friends that I was able to meet seven years ago. I have had many conversations with Magdalena and knew some of her history although never anything too personal. It was intriguing to learn she never intended to immigrate to America, but due to her family, she left her life in Mexico. She enjoyed her life in Mexico and accepted the little belongings she had because, to her, it was comfortable. For the safety and love for her children, Magdalena, began a life-long journey to a new country, that she now calls home.
Before I started to interview Magdalena, she made it clear that her story was not the typical Mexican migration story as there wasn’t much hardship to cross the border. I then notice that this known struggle was specifically to Mexico and the United States border. I was able to reflect upon the many countries that experience similar separations. For example, those in Morocco are considered the Mexicans of Europe, because they too have this wall of division between countries. Not only that but what is causing them to migrate is the need of labor (Haas, Vezzoli, 2010).
The book Voyages by Cathy Smalls, discusses one reason people migrate is due to the influence of other people including family (Smalls). Just as Magdalena migrated with the influence from her husband, the Tongans don’t make that choice completely by themselves either, yet they move under the pressure of their family to send remittances home. In Mexican culture the male is the head of the household and if he leaves and wishes for the rest of the family to join him in that journey, they are not left with much of a choice.
Magdalena mentioned she came legally with a visa to the US in 2002. During this time, Mexico was not able to negotiate any reform with the US. With the results of September 11, 2001, the US began to be stricter with their borders policies. Magdalena’s family found it better to get approved for a visa and migrate legally, rather than worry about the border patrols. Therefore, her travel across the border was not a hassle.
Magdalena and her family migrated during the years the US experienced a peak in migration. Magdalena doesn’t associate herself to this peak because she is persistent that her reason for leaving Mexico was because her husband. However, it is interesting to note that this is around the time when the Maquiladoras were leaving for cheaper labor wages in places like China. This left many Mexican workers with no option but to migrate. Lives on the line, written by Mariam Davidson emphasizes that the workers in the maquiladoras feared one day, they could wake up and their job would be gone (Davidson, 173).
Another reflection I was able to make after Magdalena’s interview dwells on the violence in Mexico. The level of violence has increased since drug cartels have made more of a scene in Mexico. Guadalajara, being the second largest city in Mexico, puts it in a bigger risk for violence. Magdalena did not share much relation to the drug trade industry but she knew that staying in Guadalajara, Jalisco wouldn’t be a safe place to raise her three daughters. She doesn’t even trust that the police would come to her safety if anything bad were to happen. It is known the cartels tend to play a role in how police and law enforcement work in Mexico.
In Crossing the BLVD by Warren Lehrer and Judith Sloan, there is a chapter called “A Safe Place.” This chapter reminded me of Magdalena and her family in their escape to a safer place. Juan Carlos was a successful man and was happy in his country but due to his sexual preference, he had to immigrate to the US. Magdalena was content with her life in Mexico and found no need to leave Guadalajara but because of the violence, she left her life behind. Both Magdalena and Juan Carlos left a place they were comfortable, to a place where they have close to nothing. Juan Carlos went from designer to not having anything at all. In the end of Magdalena’s interview she states as a message to the fellow people who will proceed in her steps to migrate, that one will have to lower their standards of living.
Overall, it is interesting to see that Magdalena does fear of deportation like many of the migrants that do today. With policies such as SB1070 targeting them why wouldn’t they fear? President Obama stated that it diminishes the trust between the community and police (Archibold, 2010). This is because it gives the police the option to detain those who they believe are here illegally. However, the Camarena’s remain in the US even though they fear of policies such as. To them, the fear does not outweigh the opportunities and safety for their children.
Work Cited
Davidson, M. (2000). Lives on the line: dispatches from the U.S.-Mexico border. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.
Lehrer, W., & Sloan, J. (2003). Crossing the blvd: strangers, neighbors, aliens in a new America. New York: Norton.
Small, C. (1997). Voyages: from Tongan villages to American suburbs (2nd ed.). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
De Haas, Hein, and Simona Vezzoli. "Time to Temper the Faith: Comparing the Migration and Development Experiences of Mexico and Morocco." Migrationpolicy.org. N.p., 02 Mar. 2017. Web. 03 May 2017.
Archibold, R. C. (2010, April 23). Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration. Retrieved May 03, 2017, from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/us/politics/24immig.html