“A Day Without A Mexican” Notes
White woman married to Mexican man
What types of jobs do they show Mexicans doing?
Buenos Diaz report
Caution sign: people running across the border
State Senator has Mexican housekeeper (he says he was very careful to make sure she
was legal. When his wife hires two illegal Mexicans, he throws a fit and gets rid of them.
His wife says that illegal workers are cheaper.
“illegal Mexicans from Guatemala and Hondruas”
Jose = most popular baby name in California
Border protesters – how are they portrayed?
Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican, not a Latino holiday.
Lyla Rod = Lila Rodriguez. Significance of her professional name?
They want her accent because they’re looking for a Latino reporter.
Significance of Spanish words/phrases used by man hiring her.
Song: “Sin Decir Adios” (los Perros Mojados)
Jose shoots a rattlesnake and saves the evil white man’s son. Son says “gracias”, father
says that he can’t say gracias, but he can say “thank you”.
Shows border patrol bust – brutality of guards (cursing, throwing men on the ground)
Significance of letting woman’s skirt be caught outside van door?
“It’s only Mexicans; nothing to be alarmed about”
Mexican disappearance starts right on the border
Lila says that she was born in the US, she’s an American – give her something important
to do
Stereotypical list of things left behind by Mexican workers – chorizo, tortillas
“California depends on these people to make things work” – tractor left running when
driver disappeared then runs into the camera
Senator’s nanny missing – chaos! Wife can’t cook; doesn’t know where anything is in
their kitchen
Substitute for Diaz Report sucks. Nothing works
Highways are empty
Senator gets to be governor pro temp because the governor and lieutenant governor are
both Mexicans. Everyone disappears in line in front and behind him while he sits in
drive-thru.
“In these difficult times, we need to do our best to go about our days as usual.” Not gonna
happen!
Lila driving around viewing mass chaos: empty cars, looting, car wash empty
Who are these people we’ve taken for granted?
Hispanics? Latinos? Mexicans? Chicanos? Americans?
Whatever their nationality, they are PEOPLE. They make up 1/3 of the people who live
in the state of California.
These are the people who have helped make our state the fifth largest economy in the
world.
90% of the crops in the state were picked by undocumented workers.
Parking cars at valet, restaurants…
“It’s like the g-damn third world Olympics out here… they’re always running, jumping,
swimming…”
There are 40 countries south of the border… they’re not ALL Mexican!
20% of California K-12 teachers are Hispanic
culture-specific bomb?!
More than 1/3 of all consumers are gone
“My friend’s normal, just like me!”
“She’s from Argentina.”
Abercrombie’s wife: “Why is it that a rich white man who’s against minorities is labeled
as a racist? California voted for him…”
Why do they show the home video of Lila’s family at her birthday? What do we learn
from it?
Lila: I used to make fun of my parents with my friends all the time. I used to pretend my
friends’ parents were mine.
Signs that people are holding up – Uncle Sam says “I want you back!”
Ticker: every Hispanic on the West Coast is presumed to be Mexican.