I thought I would share another fascinating article that I read a few weeks back, about Fearless Girl and Charging Bull in Bowling Green Park, Lower Manhattan. The author, Greg Fallis, brings to discussion the power of symbolism and the role of commercialization in the appropriation and exploitation of meaning.

I realize this article doesn’t (directly) tie to what we’ve been talking about in class recently and might be more of a ‘class links’-type find. However, I think Fallis’ greater point––that meaning is situational––is one that certainly applies to different aspects of the Dream as we’ve looked at it.

seriously, the guy has a point

I want to use this space to recommend one of my favorite documentaries of all time, which I think it really relevant to some of the themes we’ve explored in this class (particularly, the reality of the Dream, its accessibility, and the quantifications of opportunity). “Which Way Home,” filmed by Rebecca Cammisa and released in 2009, tells the other side of the immigrant story that we heard tonight: the struggles of those trying to get in. Cammisa follows the journey of Honduran, Guatemalan and Nicaraguan child migrants, some as young as eight years-old, as they leave their families behind in pursuit of opportunity in the United States. The kids follow a perilous trail, train-hopping between freight trains collectively known as “The Beast,” which run from southern Central America to the Rio Grande at the U.S.-Mexican border. For many, the journey ends badly, if not tragically. Menaced by predatory smugglers and corrupt police, children (some of whom travel alone) must contend with unpredictable weather, hunger, and the constant dangers associated with their means of travel and the life on the streets they must adapt to. To make things more tragic, some travel thousands of miles in hope of finding opportunity (in the form of well-paying work, adoption, education, a secure life in a thriving American metropolis, connection with missing family members, etc.), only to be intercepted by law enforcement agents at the border and deported back home. Give it a watch when you have the chance; it’s a must-see in my mind.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmLMCuatzV0

Something that really stood out to me in this film is the level of dedication from the Dreamers. Come to think of it, I find it pretty ironic how the very people the US is trying hard to push out are the people who embody the American Dream the most. The resilience and tenacity of the undocumented people was honestly something that really stuck out to me in this film.

I found the inclusion of a woman who was a legal citizen of the US very interesting. I think that by including her story, the movie showed the severe impact that deportation and harsh immigration policies have on the families of those experiencing the brunt of them. And in doing so demonstrated to watchers that these policies affect people far beyond just those who are undocumented. Do you think her story was more or less effective than others in the movie? Or maybe just completely different?

I thought it was very interesting the way the movie criticized President Obama. Typically, he is presented as being a President who has aided and improved immigration reform in America, and yet this film seems to disagree. What did you all think of the portrayal of Obama in this piece?

I don’t know how familiar people are with Humans of New York, but it’s basically a blog from this man who spontaneously conducts interviews with people on the streets of New York. Right now, Stanton (the interviewer) is in Brazil doing the same thing, which is where he conducted this interview. I found this one particularly striking as a real life application of the Lame Shall Enter First, seeing as most people, myself included, found such a story very far from reality. The similarities between this man and O Connor’s fictional story further reflect the notion that literature is important as it can help us deal with realistic issues.