Rhetorical and Visual Analysis: Immigration
Idaly Hernandez
University of Texas at El Paso
English 1311-065
September 30, 2011
Jorge Gomez
Immigration it has been one of the biggest “hot button” issue in the United States. Recent debates on immigration called for increasing enforcement of existing laws to illegal immigration in the USA. On May 13, 2010 the music video of “come to the USA” was released by Ray Steven. The song uses exaggeration and satire to comment on illegal immigration acceptance internationally compared in the United States more passive policy. The purpose of the song is that coming to the country the legal way is the best that coming illegally. The song is made to see how immigrants come to the USA illegally and get benefits and other services from the Government. The audience for the music video is intentionally made for people that are for legal immigration. Politicians and people that like watching humorous political videos can see these videos. Also people that like country music can see this video because the author of the music video is a country musician. The music video is effective because even though he doesn’t state his point of view directly it very well, he does goes for the point of view, that the best way to coming to the USA is the legal way.
The first method is Ethos. The music video was made and directed by Ray Stevens, he made the video himself for the immigration debate. Ray Stevens is a country singer that has made political videos but humorous. He has written immigrant two immigrant songs alluding the law sb 1070 in Arizona. His views are supported and reasonable because his songs mentions that illegals are taking the USA and abusing the benefits the USA gives to the people. Ray Stevens is for legal immigration and he doesn’t mention any word racist word in the video he avoids it even though it causes offenses to illegal immigrants indirectly. Stevens music comedy video is reliable because it supports facts do to illegal immigration.
The second method is logos. In the song “come to the USA” it mentions: “If you’re thinking about illegal immigration. Be careful when choosing the nation because breaking the law in some countries is frowned upon”, Stevens (2010), this is an example of logos because it mentions in a different way how it is against federal law to enter into another different country. In the music video it also appears in the back ground images the Mexican president, the dessert from Egypt, and the Great Wall of China and him holding a flag from the United States and him interpreting getting into that country illegally, this is an example of logos because it supports in images how illegal immigrants get into other countries the illegal way. It also mentions “yeah, come to the USA, ’Cause when you get in there’s lots of goodies waiting’, Stevens (2010), this fall to fallacies because illegal people can’t get food stamps, welfare or free education, so it fails to in logos. In the video he mentions what other countries like Sudan, China and Mexico might do to the people that enter illegally which is logos because for example he mentions” And in Mexico, you might face a firing squad”, this is logos but in a humorous way mentioned.
The third and strongest method is Pathos. Ray Stevens is the author of the music video, he made the immigration song because he is for legal immigration and to extent that illegal immigration has gotten out of control. The song uses a lot of exaggeration for example it says that in “No need to worry about the Constitution. We’ll help you start a house of prostitution if that’s the kind of work that you want to do “Stevens (2010), he means that immigrants come to the USA to have so-called “Anchor babies”. It has a strong appeal to satire but in an effective way, because he’s saying his point of view and what he is saying in some cases is true because some immigrant women do get pregnant to get benefits, it is understandable. Another part where he uses satire is when he says “the borders are swinging doors. Go home for a Visit and come back for more”, by that it appeals to sarcasm but also to logic because he means that many immigrants are abusing being in the United States.
The song it was made for the illegal immigration debate, it is more strongly in the rhetorical pathos. It shows through images how illegal immigration is really affecting the USA and also in other countries. The United States is not enforcing its own laws concerning illegal immigration. The song is not saying anything that can be racism against the illegal people. It is only saying that is best to come to the USA the legal way. The song was dedicated to the hard working American citizens that were born in other countries and choose to come to the United States the legal way.
