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The most horrifying image of desperation was a scene of a man struggling in the water while trying to
cross the border, and then floating dead. Neither the reporter filming the scene nor the officer on the shore
appeared to make an attempt to save him. Surely the network viewers must have watched helplessly when
encountering this horrific scene while the network told us about “desperate people” trying to cross --
“would-be illegal immigrants.” The macabre report even took the creative liberty of using a death
metaphor for what the immigrants faced: “ghosts of hunger and hard times.”
Not only were newscasts saturated with the afore-mentioned themes and images, but certain
footage was used again and again. The most egregious example was NBC’s footage of a young man in a
black jacket and plaid pants crawling through a hole dug under the border fence. The scene was broadcast
as early as 1985 and repeatedly for years, perhaps even after the new San Ysidro border fence was
completed. It is not clear to the viewer how much footage was supplied by the border patrol or other
policing agencies. Only one broadcast gave credit to the border patrol for using their footage, although
other shots – particularly the “night vision” shots – appeared similar.
Sympathetic portrayals embodied U.S. work ethic values. The most dominant positive image of
Mexicans – in footage and narrative – was “good worker.” A grower in 1980s said on camera, “You’re a
jerk if you work hard in this country,” (a back-handed compliment to the work ethic of Mexican
agricultural workers). A grower in another 1980s story said he was “proud of some of the illegal aliens I
have.” (Note the ownership he expressed.) Although a few Mexicans were portrayed as unkempt or dirty
when working in dirty settings, the majority of Mexicans were portrayed as clean. Most wore “modern”
dress, rather than traditional indigenous attire or Western-style “ranchero” outfits (with the exception of
cowboy hats often worn by Mexican male outdoor laborers).
The United States’ Role in Mexican Immigration: Marketing the Border Patrol
The border was frequently characterized as a place that was chaotic. A 1973 story bemoaned that
“smuggling of aliens from Mexico” was “out of control,” and added that the “Border Patrol concedes the
situation is out of control.” A 1996 piece entitled “Border Control” featured an anchor showing concern
that the United States was “losing control of its borders.” A 1997 story cast a spokesperson emphasizing
Convention