Made in LA Humanizes the Immigration Debate

I recently had the chance to view this documentary at the Immigrant Solidarity Network in Chicago. And now I have the opportunity to blog about it.

Made in L.A. is an Emmy-award winning film that tells the story of three Latina immigrants working in garment sweatshops as they embark on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections while finding their way in the U.S. It’s a very personal story of each woman’s self-empowerment, and it humanizes the immigrant experience and draws parallels between today’s immigrants and those whose families came to the U.S. generations ago.

What I particularly liked about this particular work was that the focus was not on discerning whether the migrant women workers in question were legal or illegal. That was not the point of the movie. The binaries of legal-illegal were torn down in the narrative as it explored the trials and tribulations of three Latina women working in a sweatshop in Los Angeles.

Between April 15th and May 31st (and beyond) national organizations, grassroots groups, faith-based congregations and individuals are coming together in a nationwide effort to share the Emmy-winning Made in L.A. and put a human face on the issues of immigration, immigrant workers’ rights, and supporting humane immigration reform.

It’s always important to tell our stories. And especially the stories of migrant women given the trend towards feminization of migrant labor.

Will you join or support this effort?  You can:
1. Host a screening

2. Send an e-mail to your friends and lists, about the campaign or spread the word through the film’s Facebook and Myspace pages.

3. Post the banner and button on your blog or website, and get the new Immigration Headlines Widget featuring Made in L.A.

By creating a climate of empathy and understanding around immigration reform, we can use Made in L.A. to help lay the foundation for change. Join the movement at www.MadeInLA.com/MayDay!