Employment and Migrant Workers

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the wall is not being reported on by the U.S. press…Israel is the country with current-day wall experience which could be helpful.” (p.38). She quotes a Newsday article of August 14, 2006, that reported on Israel/Palestine Wall builder Uzi Dayan differentiating between the two situations, “The United States is trying to solve the problem of illegal workers. We are trying to avoid bloodshed. There is a big difference. There have been some serious inquiries from Washington about how to build a fence along Israeli lines. They want to emulate us...but I’ve always said that it’s not in America’s best interest. It won’t solve their problem. It’s not cost-effective and it won’t work.” (ibid). According to Kinberg, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff is quoted as saying in May 2008 that the U.S. could not adopt border security methods used in Israel to prevent Palestinian militants from entering its territory, for U.S. efforts to stop illegal immigrants from crossing its frontier with Mexico. “(Ours is) a vastly longer border. It’s not an area where there is much useful experience” (Kinberg, 2008:38). All the cartoons comparing the U.S.-Mexico border wall with other walled borders around the world to show the division and ironies are comprised in Appendix D.

4.2.5 Employment and Migrant Workers

The second research question addressed how the American newspapers framed the U.S. Security fence in their editorial cartoons and the employment frame dominated over the others just followed by the one concerned to the immigration reform.

Mexico and the United States share a long history of economic integration mediated by cross-border population flows (Ruiz and Tiano, 1987). The American economy has always relied on Mexican labor in its fields and factories, though the level of U.S. labor demand has oscillated along with periodic fluctuations of the economy. When economic boom or war-related labor shortages have increased the need for migrant labor, immigration policies have softened to attract foreign labor; when economic downturns have led to excess labor supply, immigration policies have become more restrictive (Fernandez, 1977). Additionally, as the American population becomes more educated, they are less willing to work in low paying jobs such as agriculture,

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manufacturing or other service sector positions. It is the migrants that are willing to work in these low paying jobs with minimum or no benefits. Mexico remains a labor surplus nation as still has a long way to go in improving wages, working conditions and benefits for its citizens.

Therefore, legal and illegal migrants are willing to leave their families behind to work in the U.S.

in its attempt to improve their opportunities and living standards.

In this frame, the American and Mexican perceptions coincide in criticizing the U.S. anti-immigrant policies stating to do not hire illegal migrants but perhaps in their search for cheap construction labor, they would hire the same migrants to build the wall, going against their own law.

In Cartoon A3, we can read “Illegals stay out!” written in the bricked wall that is being built between the U.S.A.-Mexico border, as we can read both nations’ names written on the ground and divided just by a dashed line. In the center, the very big symbol for America incarnated in “Uncle Sam” is the one who trowel in hand is building the wall. Behind him we can see bricks, cement and rolls of barbed wire to keep working in this construction. However,

M9. “Migratory Workers in the Wall”

Credit: Nerilicon

January 24, 2006 “Milenio”

A3. “Illegals Stay Out”

Credit: KAL

November 30, 2005 “Baltimore Sun”

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he is looking to a group of short people which are standing in the Mexican side of the border at the same time he whispers: - “Pssst, I’ll pay cash if you help me build this barrier”- and the Mexicans are only watching him. In the top left side of the image, we can read: -“America’s attitude toward immigration in a nutshell” this latter meaning “in a few words”. The big differences in the sizes of “Uncle Sam” and the Mexicans who are watching him are most telling us about the superior role of the United Stated over the undocumented migrants. Also, the combination of elements in this image is pointing the dishonest, hypocritical position of the U.S.

anti-immigrant policies because while in one hand the U.S. does not want more Mexican illegal workers entering the country –as we can read: “Illegals stay out!”- on the other, many American companies keep offering jobs to them in their attempt to earn more revenues hiring low-cost workers in a “secret” way, just as “Uncle Sam” is “secretly” whispering the people in this cartoon. Such was the case of U.S. Company “Tyson Foods Inc.” which in December 2001 was indicted of recruiting around 2,000 unauthorized foreigners, usually in poultry processing plants in rural locations in order to cut costs and maximize profits. The workers were recruited just inside the American border by smugglers who were paid from USD $100 to $200 per hand, plus an extra fee each migrant had to pay to the smuggler (Rural Migration News, 2002).

On the other hand, Cartoon M9 shows the Mexican perception. We can see five people wearing the stereotypical outfit for a Mexican: big hats, sandals and loose and poor attires.

They are working in the construction of the wall. However, four of them are in the same side of the border while the last is collocating bricks standing in the other side of the barrier. Besides, we see a Border Patrol vehicle and at the same time, a Border Patrol agent which riffle in hand approaches to the Mexican and shouts: -“In the other side!!”- inferring he is standing in the American area of the frontier. The American Border Patrol is “supervising” that illegal migrants do not step in the American side of the border but at the same time, they are hiring the undocumented Mexicans to build the wall. This cartoon gives an impression of slavery, of the migrants’ working non-stop under the supervision of the guard who at the first mistake, as for example, step in the wrong side of the border, is ready for a hasty shout.

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The frequency of use in this frame in both countries diverge in the two extremes because from Mexico was used only once but from the United States we can find 13 cartoons with a variety of different symbols and meanings, for example a pig wearing business suit and top hat to represent the private sector, the responsibility of American employers and big corporates such as the supermarket chain Walmart for promoting the migrants’ hiring and the American double standard of strengthen the border security and the anti-immigrant laws but at the same time keep hiring the illegal migrants. The complete collection of cartoons concerning to this frame has been attached in Appendix E.