University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Hispanic Studies Hispanic Studies 2013 Telling the Story of Mexican Migration: Chronicle, Literature, and Film from the Post-Gatekeeper Period Ruth Brown University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Brown, Ruth, "Telling the Story of Mexican Migration: Chronicle, Literature, and Film from the Post- Gatekeeper Period" (2013). Theses and Dissertations--Hispanic Studies. 11. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/hisp_etds/11 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Hispanic Studies at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Hispanic Studies by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. 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Ruth Brown, Student Dr. Susan Carvalho, Major Professor Dr. Susan Larson, Director of Graduate Studies TELLING THE STORY OF MEXICAN MIGRATION: CHRONICLE, LITERATURE, AND FILM FROM THE POST-GATEKEEPER PERIOD DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Ruth Brown Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Susan Carvalho, Professor of Hispanic Studies Lexington, Kentucky 2013 Copyright © Ruth Brown 2013 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION TELLING THE STORY OF MEXICAN MIGRATION: CHRONICLE, LITERATURE, AND FILM FROM THE POST-GATEKEEPER PERIOD This study examines how the social process of undocumented Mexican migration is interpreted in the chronicle, literature, and film of the post-Gatekeeper period, which is defined here at 1994-2008. Bounded on one side by the Mexican economic crisis of 1994, and increased border security measures begun in that same year, and on the other by the advent of the global economic crisis of 2008, the post-Gatkeeper period represents a time in which undocumented migration through the southern U.S. border reached unprecedented levels. The dramatic, tragic, and compelling stories that emerged from this period have been retold and interpreted from a variety of perspectives that have produced distinct, and often paradoxical, images of the figure of the undocumented migrant. Creative narrative responds to this critical point in the history of Mexican migration to the U.S.by applying the inherently subjective and mediated form of artistic interpretation to a social reality well documented by the media, historians, and social scientists. Throughout the chronicle, literature, and film of this period, migration is understood as a cultural tradition inspired by regional history. These stories place their undocumented protagonists on a narrative trajectory that transforms migration into a heroic quest for personal and community renewal. Such imagery positions the undocumented migrant as an active agent of change and provides discursive visibility to a figure often represented, in media and political rhetoric of the period, as an anonymous, collective Other. Filtered through this creative lens, migration is revealed as a complex social process in which individual experience is informed not only by personal ambition, but also by the expectations of the home community and its culture of migration. The creative works examined here foreground the history, motivation, and experience of their migrant protagonists in relation to the socio-historical context of this period. In doing so, they compose tales of migration in which the figure of the undocumented migrant plays a primary role, one informed not only by the experience of migration, but also by personal and community history. KEYWORDS: Undocumented Mexican migration, cultures of migration, chronicle, literature, film Ruth Brown Student’s name June 18th, 2013 TELLING THE STORY OF MEXICAN MIGRATION: CHRONICLE, LITERATURE, AND FILM FROM THE POST-GATEKEEPER PERIOD By Ruth Brown Susan Carvalho, Ph.D. Director of Dissertation Susan Larson, Ph.D. Director of Graduate Studies June 18, 2013 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following dissertation benefitted from the insight and direction of several people. First, my dissertation director, Dr. Susan Carvalho, who has encouraged me to seek new ways to join my passions of academic pursuit and community activism and provided me with an important touchstone throughout the various stages of this process. In addition, Dr. Michael Samers, the outside reader of my committee, has provided me with valuable insight and guidance regarding the incorporation of social science research into the analysis of creative narrative works. Both of these mentors have offered valuable confidence, buoying my belief in the value of joining these two disciplines. I also wish to thank the other members of my dissertation committee, Dr. Susan Larson and Dr. Enrico Santi, for their time, input, and support through this process. In addition to the technical and academic support of my committee, I must take this opportunity to thank my husband, Gabriel Brown, who has encouraged me and provided unfailing support for my professional goals. I wish to recognize my mother, Karen Ehlerman, and her grandchildren, Harper and Walker, whose contributions to my life are immeasurable, and greatly appreciated. I offer a final word of thanks to the many and women whose stories have inspired my work. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to learn about the undocumented migrant experience from those who have lived it, and I hope that this work is an accurate reflection of their tales of strength, perseverance, and commitment to personal and community renewal. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: Introduction………………………………………………………………...1 The Figure of the Undocumented Migrant………………………………………..3 Migration as Heroic Quest……………………………………………………….22 Chapter Two: Migration Chronicles - A Paradoxical Visibility…………………………34 Reporting on Migrant Tragedy…………………………………………………35 Crossing Over by Rubén Martínez……………………………………................44 The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea…………………………………….53 Morir en el intento by Jorge Ramos……………………………………………..64 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….75 Chapter Three: Literature - Sites of Transformation…………………………………….79 Coming of Age on the Migrant Trail…………………………………………….80 Across a Hundred Mountains by Reyna Grande………………………………...89 La vida que él me da: narrativa guanajuatense de migración y violencia………99 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………...114 Chapter Four: Film - The Illusion of Success……………………………………….….117 The Migrant as Macho……………………………………………………….…118 De ida y vuelta by Salvador Aguirre…………………………………………....129 La tragedia de Macario by Pedro Véliz………………………………………..136 Cuando llegan los mojados by Alonso Lara……………………………………146 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...…153 Chapter Five: Conclusion…………………………………………………………...…157 References………………………………………………………………………………172 Vita……………………………………………………………………………………...185 iv Chapter One: Introduction Undocumented migration between Mexico and the United States is not a new phenomenon; citizens of both countries have likely made clandestine, undocumented border crossings since the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo created the modern political boundary between the two countries in 1848. Despite this long history, the ways in which undocumented Mexican migration is both experienced and represented has changed dramatically since the early 1990s. The present study examines how the social process of undocumented Mexican migration is interpreted in the chronicle, literature, and film of the post-Gatekeeper period, which is defined here as 1994-2008. This period, bounded on one side by the Mexican economic crisis of 1994, and increased border security measures begun in that same year, and the other by the advent of the global economic crisis of 2008, is often characterized in creative discourse as a time of perilous border crossings and increased undocumented migration to the U.S. The creative works included here foreground the history, motivation, and experience of their migrant