America is a multinational and multi-ethnic country due to its history and political ideas of the past. Latino Americans have also become an integral part of American culture due to the expansion of the United States as well as its migration policy. However, Latino Americans have a long history of fighting for their rights to be equal with White American people, which has not yet ended. The documentary Latino Americans by PBS tells in detail about the causes and consequences of those historical events, and most of them were a real discovery for me.
The episodes of this documentary impressed me as they were touching, exciting, and informative at the same time. Although I usually do not like to watch documentaries and prefer to read several chapters of the book, this time, I enjoyed watching. Most of the events from the episodes were new to me since I had not delved into the history of Latino Americans before, so I was amazed by some personalities and their deeds. Settling California, riots, and demonstrations, the second wave of migration and deportation were little known to me, and the details of these events opened up much more meaning in the modern USA for me. For example, Chavez leading a march through Alabama, or Velásquez seeking Latino Americans’ participation in politics are examples of people fighting for democracy as they called for justice and peace without violence. There are many more examples of the struggle that was started by one person or group, but that led to significant changes for the whole nation.
I was also surprised by the fact of how the history of deportation in 2010 is similar to Trump’s modern politics. Representatives of a large diaspora are expelled from the country despite their contributions to its economy. For example, it seems to be absolutely unfair to deport Mrs. Salaices, who is married to an American citizen and has six children with American citizenship. It is also surprising that despite years of struggle of representatives of different races and ethics, they still face discrimination.
It is also worth noting the peculiarity of the episodes’ structures, which makes them not only educational but interesting. Such a feature is the comments and stories of different people, which allow me to touch those moments of history. The success stories of musicians, athletes, and politicians from poor Latino Americans’ families, such as Gloria Estefan’s or Sonia Sotomayor’s, are impressive. At the same time, touching and unfair are the stories about the deportation of people who have lived for decades in the United States and who benefit the country. Many touching moments also contain the events of the first fights and the expansion of the US borders, when non-white people faced constant violence. However, these episodes also demonstrate that joint efforts and a thirst for justice and equality help to achieve any goals.
Therefore, the episodes of the documentary Latino Americans have many touching, impressive, and surprising moments that help to remember sometimes boring facts. Various examples, stories, and expert comments contribute to the understanding of the interconnections of the events. I learned about the features of the formation of American society and the territory of the United States and also found a connection between history and the current situation. For this reason, I can note that this documentary is an excellent material for people to study history, which can bring them significant benefits.
Reference
Latino Americans | PBS. (2013). PBS. Web.