SPACES & EXCHANGES: ¿Qué? A cartoon by Nate Beeler (2007)

In this globalized world, it's usual to see people from other countries coming to yours looking for a better job and a new way of life. There are lots of immigrations in the world, but the one which is more practiced, is the illegal one. Thousands of people are threatening their lives because they want the life they deserve and they think that coming to the globalized world they will get such a better way of life. On the one hand this is true,the majority of these people live in an extreamly poor situation. But, actually, on the other, it's true as well that when they do arrive here, they still have no home and no money, in a world in which they are not accepted and prices are much higher. Doing this, in my opinion, and as far as I am concerned, is like puting the string around your own neck. But it's undeniable that some people have succeeded and have got a better standart living.

¿Qué? A cartoon by Nate Beeler (2007)

Here we have a Nate Beeler cartoon talking about immigration in the United States. This cartoonist, is an american citizen who uses his cartoons to critice american acts and change people's view point. Here we can see three men, two reporters, one holding a camera and the other one a microphone, and what it seems to be a mexican worker holding lots of baggages with him. The cameraman has his face covered by the huge camera and the little microphones on the top. Both, the camera and the reporter's microphone, have "TV" written on them, so it's quit obvious that they are reporting some telivision news. The reporter, indeed, seems to be very exited, he looks very confortable putting his hand on his poket and winking to the camera but to the cartoon's viewer as well, and smiling while he says, "We're here live with the 300 Millionth american! How do you feel about this milestone, sir?".
They are, both of them well dressed compared to the man on the left who wears a tank top and jeans. He is, by the way shoesless. He actually, seems a little confused and do not understanding what's happening that's way he answers "¿Qué?" that means, "What?". He has a moustache and he has his shirt and arm a little bit dingy.

Here can see the two worlds, the globalised one, with nice suits and huge cameras and the one with dirty shirts and no shoes on the feet working like a slave for a little bit of money with what we can't live in this World. Indeed, the mexican man has already suffered before working in this situation. We can see he has a barbwire sticked to his left leg. This can mean that he passed a barrier of thorns in the frontier between Mexico and The United States of America. That is what lots of mexicans trie to do, pass the frontier to get better jobs, as we've already said. If the barbwire keeps sticking into his leg it can mean that he just arrived to The United States and that they are already exploiting him or that he didn't have a break to put that hurting thing away. The cameraman is the only one in the image that's a little bit more near to the mexican. The covered face, means objectivity and maybe a little bit of sympathy to the mexican worker, while the reporter's smile means, in my opinion, hypocrisy. The repoter is the only who does not have nothing more than a microphone to hold, while the others are holding heavy things for other people to enjoy their work.

As we've already said a few times people, move their contries to look for new oportunities. This mexican man can't even speak english, or that is what it seems because he answers in spanish to an english speaking qestion that is why I think this document can perfectly illustrate the notion of SPACES AND EXCHANGES. Because, people move to other countries even if they don't know the language to become somebody in their lifes, and they give, some how, the ir own clture to the new country, just living their and for example having children. That's why I think immigration (if it's not the way this picture represents) is really useful for countries' developpement.