Educational Media Reviews Online

The central focus and emotional core of Immigrant Nation is the story of Elvira Arellano, an undocumented immigrant single mother in Chicago struggling to resist deportation back to Mexico in order to stay with her young son in the United States. The film follows Elvira's plight over the course of a year, as she seeks sanctuary in a Chicago church and, in the process, becomes a political catalyst and symbol of the broader struggle for immigrant rights. The filmmaker alternates this story with coverage of mass 2006 demonstrations, particularly the mass marches in Chicago, Los Angeles, and other cities, to protest the severe anti-immigration legislation—HR 4437 (a.k.a. The Sensenbrenner Bill)—enacted by Congress the year earlier. There is much about this documentary that is both moving and timely. The cruel and divisive impact of current immigration laws on families is one of the main points of the film, and the sad, brave faces of kids grieving about the loss or potential loss of a parent is unforgettable. (The kid holding the hand-lettered sign reading "No Me Dejes Solo" ["Don't Leave Me Alone"] broke my heart). Equally difficult to shake are the snarling images of hatemongers such as TV's Bill O'Riley, and the anti-immigration "Minutemen" who taunt demonstrators from the sidelines along the route of their march. The film also provides an interesting look at the stake and involvement of other ethnic and cultural groups in efforts to change current immigration law.

Despite its strengths as a documentary, there are some fairly egregious weaknesses with this film. At 96 minutes, there is a fair amount of repetitive rhetoric slinging, and one wishes that the editors had been a bit more rigorous. In the swing between Elvira's story and larger immigration legislation and reform activities, the film frequently looses some of its momentum and power. The filmmaker would have been better off making a shorter, tighter, and more focused film. Even with these weaknesses, this film may be worth acquiring for the insights it offers into both how immigration legislation has become a particularly ugly, high-stakes political football game in this country, and how these skirmishes have impacted individual lives. Also worth checking out in this general topical area are David Belle and Nicholas Wrathall's excellent documentary, Abandoned: The Betrayal of America's Immigrants (Bullfrog Films, 2000) and Anne Galisky's Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth (most home video distributors).