[I wrote this on December 8, 2020]
¡Alambrista! was one of the first feature films to look at the issue of Mexicans crossing the border for work. This was the era before NAFTA, border walls and cages, but after the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Even so, migrant workers trying to make money to send home or find a better life made this dangerous journey any way and Robert M. Young made this movie to document the life of one such person. Interestingly enough, and what some folks don't take into consideration, is that the main character is a migrant in the truest since of the word: he is on the run and on the hunt for any work he can get, but ultimately he ends up going back to Mexico voluntarily. The story of his time between crossing and re-crossing the border is the story here.
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