Yo ya estoy hasta la madre
de que me pongan sombrero
Escucha entonces cuando digo
no me llames "frijolero"
I am very fed up with
people putting a sombrero on me
So listen to me when I say:
don't call me a beaner
Any Mexican teenager will know the lyrics by heart, any Mexican kid will sing along with the music, and any young Mexican adult will say they know of the song and what it signifies. "Frijolero" can truly be considered a Mexican anthem; it embodies the perspective, voice, and hopes of a whole nation. The song was written by Molotov, a group composed of members of the upper class, who have never had to worry about the roof over their heads or the food on their table, and yet they are able to connect with a population that is composed in its vast majority of poor people. They achieve this by declaring the concerns that apply to all Mexicans through their music, knocking down distinctions of race and social class, and for that they are recognized as a very influential political force, on top of being a badass rock band.
Molotov's approach, although now they have a small fortune to their name, is the exact opposite of that of the wealthy sector of the population in The Great Gatsby. The Valley of the Ashes, a squalid, desolate place - lonely, too, except for the giant, watchful eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg - symbolizes how the poor are tucked away and forgotten in the minds of the rich. Instead, Molotov are very aware of the issues of the working class; Molotov are on the same team as the masses, and they advocate for social justice in many of their songs.
Molotov's approach, although now they have a small fortune to their name, is the exact opposite of that of the wealthy sector of the population in The Great Gatsby. The Valley of the Ashes, a squalid, desolate place - lonely, too, except for the giant, watchful eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg - symbolizes how the poor are tucked away and forgotten in the minds of the rich. Instead, Molotov are very aware of the issues of the working class; Molotov are on the same team as the masses, and they advocate for social justice in many of their songs.
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| Members of Molotov |
The opening stanza of "Frijolero" uses figurative language to criticize the fact that Mexicans are heavily stereotyped, specifically in the United States, as many Americans ignorantly assume modern-day Mexicans still wear sombreros. These stereotypes are mostly negative, and some common stereotypes are that Mexicans are lazy, dirty, and unintelligent. They are all summed up by the derogatory term "beaner," which is used as an insult, especially on immigrants, because of the large content of beans in a typical Mexican diet.
It is rather a shame that this situation occurs in this day and age, since such a point of view is more characteristic of an arrogant member of the aristocracy in the Roaring Twenties such as Tom Buchanan. Tom borrows his white supremacist views from a fictional book titled 'Rise of the Colored Empires' by a man named Goddard (based on the real book 'Rising Tide of Color Against White World-Supremacy' by Lothrop Stoddard). He firmly believes the white race is superior to all others, and, as such, should "dominate" them. For this reason, he does not hesitate to use derogatory or offensive terms to refer to people who do not fit his description of the "Nordic" race.
It is rather a shame that this situation occurs in this day and age, since such a point of view is more characteristic of an arrogant member of the aristocracy in the Roaring Twenties such as Tom Buchanan. Tom borrows his white supremacist views from a fictional book titled 'Rise of the Colored Empires' by a man named Goddard (based on the real book 'Rising Tide of Color Against White World-Supremacy' by Lothrop Stoddard). He firmly believes the white race is superior to all others, and, as such, should "dominate" them. For this reason, he does not hesitate to use derogatory or offensive terms to refer to people who do not fit his description of the "Nordic" race.
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| Stereotypes on the Internet |
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| Stoddard's "Race Map" |
Si tuvieras tu que esquivar las balas
de unos cuantos gringos rancheros
Les seguiras diciendo good-for-nothing wetbacks
si tuvieras tu que empezar de cero?
If you had to dodge the bullets
of a couple redneck Americans
would you still call them good for nothing wetbacks
if you had to start over from scratch?
Molotov takes their patriotic stance one step further by focusing on the plight of Mexicans and other Latinos who decide to cross the border into the United States in search of a larger, steadier income and financial stability. The U.S. represents a land of opportunity and prosperity, and in this way they are pursuing a modern version of the American Dream they decide to emigrate from their respective countries. Here is a plea for empathy: it takes a lot of courage and hard work, to the extent of literally putting your life on the line (or, in this case, the border) in order to improve your standard of living. For that reason, the American public should be more sympathetic to the struggle of Latinos who are trying to provide food and shelter for their families by turning over a new leaf in an unknown country, hoping for the best.
Daisy would be unable to put herself in the shoes of these immigrants because her mind cannot bridge the vast social chasm that separates her from the lower classes. Gatsby describes her as located "safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor," indicating that she cannot feel empathy for their hardship because she has never carried burdens, she has never known distress, and she has never encountered adversity, so it seems as if she is not just figuratively above the poor, but almost physically as well. Because of their inability to sympathize, Daisy and her husband belittle the efforts to be successful carried out by people below them in the social hierarchy, and they would most likely refer to illegal immigrants as "good for nothing wetbacks" regardless of what their "hot struggle" might be.
Daisy would be unable to put herself in the shoes of these immigrants because her mind cannot bridge the vast social chasm that separates her from the lower classes. Gatsby describes her as located "safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor," indicating that she cannot feel empathy for their hardship because she has never carried burdens, she has never known distress, and she has never encountered adversity, so it seems as if she is not just figuratively above the poor, but almost physically as well. Because of their inability to sympathize, Daisy and her husband belittle the efforts to be successful carried out by people below them in the social hierarchy, and they would most likely refer to illegal immigrants as "good for nothing wetbacks" regardless of what their "hot struggle" might be.
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| Mexican group waiting to cross the border |
CURRENT IMMIGRATION POLICIES
Anti-Immigration
The United States policies on immigration have tightened significantly throughout the decade, affected by factors such as the xenophobia triggered by the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the rise of the unemployment rate due to the latest recession. In 2006, the 109th Congress passed the Secure Fence Act, which was signed and approved by George W. Bush and allowed the Department of Homeland Security to build 700 miles of barriers to reduce illegal immigration and drug trafficking. More recently, in 2010, Arizona passed the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration measure in U.S. history in the form of the Arizona Senate Bill 1070 (SB 1070 for short). This law requires all aliens in the state to register with the government and requires them to carry their registration documents at all times, for it is now a misdemeanor to not have the documents in their possession. Law enforcement can make a lawful detention whenever there is "reasonable suspicion" that an individual is an illegal immigrant. Opposition to this legislation rises from claims that its vagueness as to what constitutes "reasonable suspicion" will encourage racial profiling, and some states and Latin American countries were so outraged by the passage of the law that they boycotted trade with Arizona.
The way some Americans complain about immigrants taking jobs that unemployed Americans could otherwise occupy is evocative of the way Gatsby and the group of negroes in the limousine look at each other in "haughty rivalry" as they travel on the bridge. The sector of the American population that regards immigrants as enemies in the search for jobs and antagonizes immigration resembles the old-wealth families of the 1920's in that the latter were opposed to the rise of the nouveau riche in a similar fashion. The aristocracy believed wealth should stay in the hands of the few people that had it already, and they were opposed to members of the working class - be it the poor or the immigrants - climbing up through the ranks of society.
The way some Americans complain about immigrants taking jobs that unemployed Americans could otherwise occupy is evocative of the way Gatsby and the group of negroes in the limousine look at each other in "haughty rivalry" as they travel on the bridge. The sector of the American population that regards immigrants as enemies in the search for jobs and antagonizes immigration resembles the old-wealth families of the 1920's in that the latter were opposed to the rise of the nouveau riche in a similar fashion. The aristocracy believed wealth should stay in the hands of the few people that had it already, and they were opposed to members of the working class - be it the poor or the immigrants - climbing up through the ranks of society.
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| Part of the Mexico-US border wall |
Pro-Immigration
However, as Hispanics have now become the nation's largest minority, there have been many policies designed to support, even encourage, immigration, by focusing on how to facilitate its legalization rather than focusing on how to stop it completely. During his presidency, George W. Bush admitted that, although many Americans complain about the thousands of Latinos "affecting the economy," the basis of almost every industry depends on all these undocumented workers: "If an American employer is offering a job that American citizens are not willing to take, we ought to welcome into our country a person who will fill that job," said Bush. Unlike the rest of the Republican party, he thinks compulsory education shouldn't be offered in English only, but in Spanish as well, to benefit the large percentage of population who is Spanish-speaking. Today, with the 2012 election looming, Barack Obama is appealing to exactly this sector of the population with his deferred deportation program. His program allows young, undocumented immigrants to obtain temporary work permits. Obama made a lot of promises to Hispanics during his last campaign, and he promises to make them a reality if he is reelected.
Many services that Americans take for granted would not function properly without immigrants working behind the scenes, and this is true as well in the world of Gatsby. His servants, who are presumably either poor or immigrants, are the ones responsible for the "floating cocktails" that make their way through the guests and for the crates of lemons and oranges that transform into a "pyramid of pulpless halves" once the party is over. These people are treated as if they did not exist, but without them Gatsby could not live his lavish lifestyle. For the wealthy to be able to live luxuriously, someone has to do the dirty work, and, throughout history, that brunt has usually fallen upon the shoulders of the immigrants, who ensure the lowest rungs of the economy - upon which everything else is built - operate smoothly.
"Un Dia Sin Mexicanos" (literally, 'A Day Without Mexicans') is a Mexican movie that demonstrates how essential Latin immigrants are to the U.S. economy. Although the plot-line is far fetched - California wakes up one day, and all Latinos have disappeared - it carries a very real message: Latin immigrants are under appreciated. Without them, in the movie, chaos ensues. To carry that message, the song "Frijolero" by Molotov was cleverly chosen for the soundtrack.
The movie is in English, and I highly recommend it. Here's the trailer:
Many services that Americans take for granted would not function properly without immigrants working behind the scenes, and this is true as well in the world of Gatsby. His servants, who are presumably either poor or immigrants, are the ones responsible for the "floating cocktails" that make their way through the guests and for the crates of lemons and oranges that transform into a "pyramid of pulpless halves" once the party is over. These people are treated as if they did not exist, but without them Gatsby could not live his lavish lifestyle. For the wealthy to be able to live luxuriously, someone has to do the dirty work, and, throughout history, that brunt has usually fallen upon the shoulders of the immigrants, who ensure the lowest rungs of the economy - upon which everything else is built - operate smoothly.
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| Some services performed by Mexican immigrants |
The movie is in English, and I highly recommend it. Here's the trailer:
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