Explore what's 'Beyond Borders'

Living in San Diego, minutes away from the United States-Mexico border, immigration is a hot topic. Almost everyone knows someone who has directly dealt with an aspect of the immigration debate. Your neighbors, your classmates or the person who served your food at Chipotle could have moved here from across the border. The documentary "Beyond Borders: The Debate Over Human Migration" touches on these people's stories. One of the most touching tales is that of Ana Teresa Sosa, an immigrant who came to the United States illegally from El Salvador but eventually earned her citizenship. Sosa came to the U.S. when she was 16 to reunite with her mother, who had earlier immigrated to work and sent money back to her daughter. Now, the younger Sosa copies her mother, sending home most of her paycheck to extended family in her native country. "Beyond Borders" brings home the dilemmas facing immigrants from around the world. The documentary highlights not only the Hispanic migrant population, but also Haitians, Cubans and other Central American nationalities. In Sosa's case, immigrating was one of her most traumatic experiences. People in her village in El Salvador discovered that she was sending money back, and decided they wanted their cut. These criminals kidnapped her young nephew and held him for a ransom of $100,000. When Sosa could only come up with $20,000, the captors killed her nephew. Situations like this occur frequently, and the movie touches on this horrible reality. But the larger question posed by "Beyond Borders" is this: "Is it a human right to migrate?" Throughout the documentary, the filmmakers show the extreme viewpoints on that heated question. It's brought to light how many people take extreme stances on immigration. Some view immigration as an "illegal alien invasion" that needs to be put to a dead stop, while others think Mexico should take over the American Southwest. To showcase these ideas, the documentary features interviews with border patrol agents, minute men, radio talk show hosts, potential immigrants and various experts on the subject, all of who offer different viewpoints. The film asks a number of questions that are generally overlooked by mainstream media. For example, one of the best forms of foreign aid the United States offers, is from the immigrants coming to America and sending money back to their families abroad. In addition, the film highlights the hardworking attitude of most immigrants who are looking for work, not a handout. While the movie generally tries to take a neutral stance, the filmmakers seem to sympathize with the immigrant cause. It appears as if the film is trying to humanize the problems these people face on a daily basis, rather than just touching on the academic side of the debate. Considering where we live, and the importance of this issue, "Beyond Borders" is definitely a must-see for anyone sitting on the fence on this issue, no matter which side of that fence you live on.

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