Review by (Fr.) Chuck Niehaus
By (FR.) Chuck Niehaus
SJCatholic priest working in pastoral ministry in Lexington, Kentucky
Beyond the Border is the very human face of Mexican immigration to the United States. I was touched profoundly and personally by this 56-minute bilingual documentary. The video was filmed in Mexico and in the United States by Mexican American filmmakers, Ari Luis Palos and Eren Isabel McGinnis, who are currently working in the border region of Tucson, Arizona. The filmmakers traveled back to the hometown of Marcelo Ayala, the principal character portrayed in the video. The documentary recounts the true story of Marcelo as he travels across a dangerous border to work in the thoroughbred horseracing business in the Bluegrass of Kentucky. In images, Marcelo recounts how difficult it is to leave his large family and his community…and we see their tears of separation and loss. I personally know Marcelo and have visited Marcelo’s family in his native state of Michoacan in central Mexico.
Our local Lexington, Kentucky police have used this excellent documentary to provide their recruits with cultural sensitivity and to provide better understanding as they progress with their police training. Beyond the Border illustrates the complex history and the concrete problems of the Mexican community as they immigrate to the United States.
Additionally, the video has been used effectively in our parochial school (middle school students) as they take language classes. The other possible uses of the documentary are countless and would be of great use in University and high school libraries, as well as public libraries. The Beyond the Border documentary is excellent, realistic, well developed, and deeply human.
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