Esaú Meléndez's documentary Immigrant Nation! focuses on Elvira Arellano, a Mexican woman arrested at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in 2002 during a sweep for illegal immigrants. Facing the prospect of deportation, single mother Arellano took her U.S.-born son and fled to the city's Adalberto United Methodist Church for sanctuary. Although the concept of seeking protection in a place of worship is not recognized by the U.S. legal system, Arellano used her newfound asylum to become a highly vocal activist for the rights of illegal aliens, and Meléndez incorporates here a large number of video excerpts from her many press conferences to show her in action. Arellano comes across as shrill and strident, and her use of her young child as a heavily rehearsed speaker in her political crusade feels manipulative. Other community leaders and organizations are portrayed as passionate seekers of justice and fair-minded immigration reform. Unfortunately, the film continually blurs the differences between legality and illegality, while the core cause of Arellano's problems—being in the country in violation of American law—is simply ignored. Indeed, anyone here who openly questions the flaunting of the U.S. legal system is seen as a racist, with provocative TV clips of polarizing commentators Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck used to drive that point home. Ultimately, Immigrant Nation! generates more heat than light on the subject. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Immigrant Nation! The Battle for the Dream
(2010) 96 min. DVD: $150: public libraries & high schools; $275: colleges & universities. New Day Films. PPR. ISBN: 978-1-57448-076-4. Volume 26, Issue 6
Immigrant Nation! The Battle for the Dream
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: