Although illegal immigration from Mexico into the United States has moved to the back burner as a political issue (now that the country is suffering an economic crisis and job opportunities are swiftly disappearing), the subject remains a major concern in the American southwest, where a plan to construct a wall along the border with Mexico is still extremely controversial. Wayne Ewing's film interviews a number of individuals, mostly from southern Texas, who are against building the wall for various reasons. In addition to general opposition from political and social activists (many of them Hispanic), several interviewees raise specific objections: a local historian argues the wall will destroy his community's bicultural heritage; the president of the Brownsville branch of the University of Texas protests the wall will divide her campus; preservationists, environmentalists, and members of the Fish and Wildlife Service discuss the negative impact the wall would have on the region's delicate ecology; and farmers complain of the ill effects on their produce businesses. Even elected officials, such as the Stetson-wearing mayor of Eagle Pass, express irritation over the peremptory way that the federal government has seized right-of-way over public and private land without due legal process. Proponents (more sparsely represented) include California politicians Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo, who are seen here in a public meeting arguing in favor of building the wall. Also featuring useful maps and graphics, The Border Wall presents a local perspective on a project that many see as a simplistic, hugely expensive answer to a problem that deserves more thoughtful discussion. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
The Border Wall
(2008) 72 min. DVD: $19.95. Wayne Ewing Films. PPR. Volume 24, Issue 2
The Border Wall
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