The Devil's Highway

Assumptions/Myths

American Dream

Immigrants taking away jobs

NUMBER -- Not as many immigrants as we think they are.

Not paying taxes -- when you buy taxes when you pay. Other ways they pay and contribute.

Drain on social services -- legal immigrants contribute than take

The Devil's Highway

Claims

Other Connected Ideas

Must consider positioning, relationship, and

perspective -- be clear dicussing,

JOB - WORK - LABOR

illegal immigration -- leads to jobs

BORDER

SECURITY

NAMING - empowers and disempowers.

Intentions -- good versus bad. Trying to better lives versus doing more illegal activity.

STORY - American Dream, what told by others, Spring Break,, movies, what story is being sold about American?

Ownership/Responsibility -- who pays, reporting, paperwork --

WHO BENEFITS?

Characters/Perspectives

US Citizens

Border Patrol

Some violates, some torture - - frames as bad.

Who is bad according to the border patrol?

Tell the story that those who make the laws are evil. Justify wrong actions, disempowered VERSUS free will and needed to make judgements. Ownership. Regular people. MIddle/lower-middle.

Provide security

employed to fight illegal immigration and now need to fight drugs cartel.

Continually empowered by money and weapons and more responsibility..

Men - Border patrol

Mexiican Government

US Government

Walkers

walkers -- immigrants - wetbacks -- border patrol

Coming from a place of poverty, $$, all savings, sacrifice

Sneaking in - illegal --- Negative consequences

Intention - work and live, survive -- pure, good

History -- stories -- ignnorant

Mendez

Fall Guy

Bad?

Leader?

Killed them? Intentional? Survival of the fittest?

Poor, lower class

Smuggler of Meixcan workers

Intentions:

Good: Gives hope, apologizes, trying to get people to freedom, risking his own, loyal,

Do the ends justfy the means?

Tells the immigrants about border patrol.; power

How does he use his power?

Walkers -- ___> Asshole

Coyotes

Good

Key Quotes

P44 -- Quote that set the context why immmigrants decide to leave and their positon in Mexico,

Key Scenes

--- End of the book when border patrol are desensitized, normalized, takes away the humanity

Shifting perspective of the border patrol -- good versus bad. leaving country bad -- dying in desert in good.

Bad