MovieChat Forums > A Day Without a Mexican (2004) Discussion > 3 things I learned from this movie

3 things I learned from this movie

posted 17 years ago by ts_flanders
43 replies | jump to latest

What exactly are we supposed to be taking away from thsi film?
As far as I could tell, the film-maker is saying:

1. Only "californian mexicans" are true mexicans ... forget the
hispanics in the other 49 states and the citizens of Mexico.
Oh no, they aren't Mexican enough. Unless you are from California,
you don't make the cut.

2. Mexicans that come to the USA legally are not REAL US Citizens.
Appearently going through customs legally and doing the required
paperwork still isn't enough for Sergio Arau. The writer/director
is saying that legal citizens will never be assimilated into the
USA's culture and therefor they will never be Amercans.

3. California in the sole provider of "mexican" labor that the USA uses.
Apparently no other state in the union uses unskilled day-laborers
in agriculture or construction.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] ts_flanders 17 years ago

My point with #2 was that once a person becomes a citizen of the USA, they
are American ... hench NO LONGER MEXICAN. But the film-maker obviously
denies this by saying "once a mexican, always a mexican".

In the movie 100% of hispanic people disappeared from California,
obviously not all 100% of hispanics are illegal aliens.

What is the natural conclusion we are supposde to come away with from this film?

This is who we are
-TS

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] ts_flanders 17 years ago

That's all well and good about Mexico and their citzenship laws.
But the movie takes place in California, so USA's citizenship's
laws take front stage, not Mexico's. In this country we do not
recommend dual-citzenship. If you become a US citizen,
your responsibilities to the US come first.

I live in south Texas and I see how hispanics drape themselves in anything
that can be easily identified with Mexico (Dose Equis, soccer, Shakira,
La Raza, Pachuco Pride, the obligatory ponchos and t-shirts with pictures
of Poncho Villa and Zapata, red/green/white clothes) They are steriotyping
themseves and even worse, segregating themselves out of the broader American
community.

What's the point of coming to a new country if you are metally still in
your old land?

This is who we are
-TS

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] keyser23 17 years ago

Honey, you don't speak for most americans. Americans are more interested day by day on Hispanic culture. The recent success of Mexican food and the attractions that americans feel for them, plus the current exposure to Hispanic culture proves you wrong.

Nobody is talking about Latin America. Hispanics are no different than any other group that has st foot in the country.

You're quite TRASHY as well.

[–] Sparkle2006 17 years ago

I like Mexican food, so what? We have Chinese food here, Italian food, food from all over the world. That just means we think the food is good not that we want to be a part of their culture. How many Americans do you see watching the Spanish channels or listening to their music? Very few and no one I know.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] ayjimenez 17 years ago

I see a ton of "Americans" watching TV in Spanish, or listing to music in Spanish. The United States is a big place and there are a lot of people that you don't know. Just look at the number of kids in schools trying to learn Spanish. Spanish classes outnumber French or German classes, three to one, in most high schools. And as far as being part of the "Spanish culture", that is what is so great about the United States. It blends cultures from all over the world, to create a super culture. Sure, there is racism and ignorance here, but it still beats most other countries. This movie while using Mexicans to drive home its point, isn't just about whether or not Latinos are important to the U.S., any minority could be substituted, the film wants the part of society that has forgotten that ultimately, even it was over fifty years ago, most people's families immigrated here, and it wants them to learn that we should treat others with respect and not belittle them or their contributions to our society and economy just because they are different from us and perhaps, don't speak our language yet. I have no idea if anyone is actually going to read this, but I just wanted to add my two cents.

Bruce Lee rules!

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] IMDickBooby 16 years ago

BritFlickster, the more you write stuff like that, the more you insult your intelligence. Don't act like you know Americans so well. Calling us Yankees is foolish & hateful.

It's not our fault if you have a problem with America.

[–] silvisb 16 years ago

All of you haters are such horrible, inconsiderate people. 1. Mexicans are still Mexican even if they gain US citizenship. Just like I am still Native American yet I've never been part of any tribe or community. Honestly, are you too stupid to get that? 2. I do listen to Latino music and speak Spanish as often as I can. I love their culture and I think it is great. Evidently, the majority of you people still have strong racism in your blood. Learn to be open to others and accept them for their virtues. And, maybe watch this movie again so you can actually get the point of it.

[–] borghor 17 years ago

You certainly don't speak for Québec's resident.

[–] Cholita22 17 years ago

They may come to america lookn all dirty and what not but i dont know any hispanics (which i am) who dislike this country but they come here for a better life. they take the jobs we dont want...i'm sure no body likes cleaning the crappers but i'm sure you dont want that job and if they dont do it...who is? it aint gonna be any rich white,black,or asian person doing it thats for sure...they come here for the reasons they have but one for sure is for their families.I'm not saying this because i'am hispanic but because not all hipanics are dirty and do not hate this country...i came here the right way and got my papers and learned the history and didn't have to jump one fence or climb anything. WE ARE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS TO SOCIETY

[–] smythe17 17 years ago

i think we're supposed to take away the fact that every culture in america is important (regardless if it's mexican or not) so if everyone of that culture just somehow disappears, the country falls apart. different cultures is what holds this country together.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] xime64 16 years ago

Hi, I'm argentinian, it's a country in south america (i don't think you know that, do you?). You really don't know what it feels like to leave your own country, family, language, culture, etc.; for one that ignores you and misstreats you. It's not easy to start over in a country which only thinks in themselves. Not all mexicans are uneducated, they have a lot of great writers and film makers.

[–] thesealclubber-1 17 years ago

Shakira is Colombian, dude.

[–] dwerg85 17 years ago

He's just proving the movies point: everyone that comes from south of the us border is a mexican in a lot of american eyes.

[–] ts_flanders 17 years ago

Dude, if Shakira had been in California during this film ... I guarantee you that she would have disappeared with all the other "mexicans" in the movie. What does that say?

[–] fperezr9 15 years ago

quote "What's the point of coming to a new country if you are metally still in
your old land?"...."Mexicans that come to the USA legally are not REAL US Citizens"

According to director premises, that's precisely the meaning of "Once a Mexican, Always a Mexican" a premise or statement that you previously disagree with, but now you come with that, so, whats your point in this issue? oh well, maybe you don't know it either...

I'm a true believer that if you ever immigrate to another country, for whatsoever reason (economic, marriage, job, political issues,)you should and MUST, try to adapt to the new environment, culture, language, and everything else, and not backwards. Ok. in that case, you don't have to completely loose your origins, but why should everybody else adopt them as their new customs, since they didn't decided that the foreigner came to change their neigborhood? Theres and old saying in Mexico "Al pueblo que fueres, haz lo que vieres" (roughly "In the town you change, Do their ways") but unfortunally in doesnt work abroad... The Director vision of HIS movie it's nothing but the true, you may not like it (I completely disagree with it)but it IS STILL the true. I know it, I'm a Mexican, living in Mexico, and no intentions to immigrate legally or illegally, but I do know a lot of people who did cross to US, and they DO still think and feel their roots and most of them (but not all of them) reluctant to change them

[–] Hylas_of_the_Argo 15 years ago

And people wonder why the world thinks U.S. Americans are the dumbest in the world...

All walls are great if the roof doesn't fall.

[–] davidaames1201 15 years ago

it probably has something to do with pride of being Mexican esa...get over it holmes!!!

TAINT EZ

spokesmen for the *beep*

[–] mgtorres77-726-36508 14 years ago

Shakira is not Mexican... unless she changed her citizenship, she is Colombian.

[–] dlvc1007 17 years ago

perseo75mx- Either you need to learn how to type or learn proper english grammar because that whole message is simply atrociously written with horrible gaps everywhere. Its painful just to read it.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] sydblue 16 years ago

I think the problem was that they kept referring to Latinos as Mexicans, or maybe the other way round, and that is totally wrong. According to what most people believe, a Latino is someone from Latin America, which includes most of the hispanic countries (and probably Brazil too, though I'm not sure) Anyway, there was no coherence regarding that issue, because when they said that one argentinian disappeared..what do they mean? a latino or a mexican?? obviously NOT a mexican. I'm argentinian and that's one thing I didn't like about the movie. It would have been better to call it "A day without a latino" in order to include all citizens of hispanic origin. Well, that's just my humble opinion.

Ohh..by the way: we all should be Americans, those who live in the American continent (south, center and north) However, the term is widely related to US citizens only..so, what can we do about it ?.. I'd say nothing can be done :( even I use the term that way, knowing that I shouldn't ..

[–] boudicca7 16 years ago

"""However, the term is widely related to US citizens only..so, what can we do about it ?.. I'd say nothing can be done :( even I use the term that way, knowing that I shouldn't ..
"""

yeah, me too =(

[–] xime64 16 years ago

Hi, i'm also argentinian, and the word latino refers to all the people who speaks a language with latin origin. For example spanish people, roman and french people. The word latin americans refers to the say thing but from america: north, central and south.

[–] chriscc-3 16 years ago

You're an idiot...as the film points out, America is a continent (two continents, actually).

I'm a U.S. citizen...born in the U.S.A.

But I'm Greek and Italian.

[?]

[–] ebeebe 17 years ago

"they will never be Amercans"

What kind of education did you sleep through?

People from Mexico are Americans, period.

Mexico is part of the North American continent.

Canadians are American too. As a matter of fact, so are Chileans, Panamanians and even Brazilians.

If you're going to assert your opinion (which you have the right to do), add some credabilty to yourself by getting your basic facts straight.

By the way, if the ideas in this film (like the isolation of California) are so unbeleiveable, I sure hope you don't watch Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or any other fiction films. Because we all know that if it can't happen in "real life" it must be crap . . .

[–] ts_flanders 17 years ago

No, people from Mexico are Mexican, people from Chile and Chilean, etc.

I challenge you to go anywhere in the world and say you are American,
then explain you are not from the USA.

Now if you said people from Mexico are NORTH American, then you might have
a point.

As for your second point about the realistic quality of this film
versus StarWars, LOTR ... SW and LOTR are FANTASY/adventure,
Lucas and Tolken never intended their stories to be taken as real life.

But 'Day Without A Mexican' is meant to be social/politcal commentary
about a REAL subject. Since the creator of the movie wants to set
his film in the REAL WORLD in order to push his agenda, then it is
fair that ths critisms of his movie also reflect his movie's lack
of realism.

This is who we are
-TS

[–] borghor 17 years ago

"But 'Day Without A Mexican' is meant to be social/politcal commentary
about a REAL subject. Since the creator of the movie wants to set
his film in the REAL WORLD in order to push his agenda, then it is
fair that ths critisms of his movie also reflect his movie's lack
of realism."

I don't understand. You can't use fantasy anymore?

[–] rjrx 17 years ago

To ts_flanders:
Well if people over the world say that you are American just for the fact that you are a US citizen, is because you U.S. Americans have made a bad use of the term, you can check in any dictionary and encyclopedia in the world, American is a person that lives or comes from the Americas, that's it, even if you like it or not.

The movie just represents the role in the US everyday life that Latinos has, might be a stupid movie but it just tries to express that people comes cause theyre in need and is not a crime that people just goes to take any job just to have a better hope for their families, is that so bad?

One more thing, check your story books if you don't believe me, 150 years ago it was the other way around, US citizens were the ones crossing the border until tbey overcrossed the mexican citizens in number, how it ended? Addition of Texas to the U.S.

And by the way im proudly mexican and also im an American and North American, and no I don't live and I have never been in the US, and by that I dont say that I dislike your country, I watch Hollywood movies, I am a fan of the Doors, my favourite show is The Simpsons. Just wish things would work out differently.

[–] parris0n 17 years ago

Hi,
Just to let you know that everyone that was born and/or raised in the AMERICAN CONTINENT is an american. America is the whole continent, not just the US.

[–] tink_137 17 years ago

people who are FROM Mexico and are citizens of US,

they are Mexican American.

people living in Mexico are

MEXICANS.

people who were born in the US but
their parents came from mexico,
they are still Mexican American
because they have mexican blood in them.

Just because you move from one country to another,
it doesn't mean you have to change your entire
nationality.

if i moved to italy,

it's not like i'll

be Mexican ITALIAN.

[–] xime64 16 years ago

I disagree, you took a word that represents all the people who live in america (north, central or south) to yourselves. Your US citizens, we all are americans: colombians, argentinians, mexicans, brazilians, etc

[–] clmarch 16 years ago

Actually, the film is a political satire. Another, famous example of political satire is Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal'. Swift's short article suggested to the Irish people to eat babies as a way of stemming hunger. He pointed out that not only would the children of the nation provide good food, but the population could also be controlled. It was a sarcastic response to the demand of the people to "do something" about a problem that was very complicated and had social and economic implications. The same argument is applied here-- the message the film portrays is the reply to the ludicrous idea of "just deport them all" or "make them all legal" that is being debated about in the White House. The movie, like Swift's Proposal is an attempt to bring to light the ridiculous "quick-fix" agenda that some politicians are tryign to push. A Band-Aid won't cure the illness, it just covers he wound.

[–] lngwstx 16 years ago

Thank you for that.

I would also like to point out that most films, unless strictly autobiographical in nature, bring with them an element of unrealism (like, people falling in love over the course of 24 hours, or escaping death sixty seven times with only a nail file and a roll of scotch tape as weapons, or sewing up every problem in their path neatly within the course of 90 minutes). So, realism happens on more of a continuum in movies, and this film is at a certain point on the continuum, and I see no problem with that. I mean, if it is unrealistic that the Mexicans disappeared only from California, then how could it be realistic for them to vanish AT ALL? Like the poster above me said, it's a satire, and it doesn't really require realism to make its point.

--The opposite of love is apathy.

[–] mjprogue 16 years ago

Wow...alot of misunderstanding on this board.

I think the name "day without a mexican" was part of the point...all Latinos disappeared. Being a US citizen doesn't make you stop being a Latino...and coming from anywhere except Mexico wasn't supposed to be protection in the eyes of the filmakers...the point is most americans DO see all Latinos as Mexicans. Its simply a convenient and inescapable reality. I don't see why this offends anyone. As a white person, I don't get offended when people make the mistake of saying "your people came over on the Mayflower...what do you know?" My people didn't come over on the Mayflower. Whites in the country came from dozens of completely distinct cultures and countries...just like Latinos, Blacks and everyone else. It is simply easier (and not completely unreasonable) to classify us all together. Who can tell the differance (on sight) between a Guatemalan and a Mexican? Not many people...so why get mad when someone makes the mistake? Even native Guatemalans wouldn't necessarily be able to tell, so why assume others can?

I can understand if people wouldrather be referred to as Latino...but the people calling them Mexicans do not (usually) have any hidden meaning behind the name...its just a name.

As for the movie, it is what it is. I thought the premise was clever...and certainly timely. Unfortunately, I also thought the writing was a bit weak. As interesting as the subject matter was, that was the only thing which kept me interested. Nothing else about the film was very strong. Not horrible either, just kinda average. I also liked that they avoided explaining the incident. The disappearance wasn't the point of the movie...therefore the cause wasn't important. What was important was the effects of that disappearance.

One last point about those whining that the vanishings were limtied to California? Who says? If memory serves (and it does) the state lost touch with the rest of the country. How do we know the same thing wasn't going on everywhere? And if it was a localized experiment by some entity or whatever...why wouldn't they pick California? Where else on the planet could you find so many "Mexicans" living outside their native land? The same movie filmed in Idaho woulda been kind of pointless.

By the way I LOVED the fact that the movie wasn't afraid to address racial stereotypes. It didn't bother me in the slightest that the rich wife couldn't figure out how to use her appliances (realistic? of course not...she couldv'e figured it out pretty easily). The movie could have been richer in the comedy if they had embraced the stereotypes more thouroughly. More Latino stereotypes to go with the white ones could have added to the humor, but the ones they used were lots of fun...proving once and for all that stereotypes DO NOT hurt anyone.

[–] Indie_Mod 12 years ago

proving once and for all that stereotypes DO NOT hurt anyone.

You're right. That's why 90% of black people still vote Democrat despite the KKK, Jim Crow laws, reversing the Special Field Orders, No. 15 (40 acres and a mule), against civil rights and government dependancy programs. I'm not authority to speak on this since I'm White, but if you find a black conservative, he will be able to explain why stereotyping CAN hurt

NOTE: I'm not saying it always does, I'm saying it can.