ABSTRACT
Ever since the U.S. government has regulated the political boundary between the United States and Mexico, crossing the border has had symbolic importance to migrants. The experience itself has been canonized in Mexican music and popular culture. A brief listen to most Latino radio stations reveals Mexican songs (most are of a rural musical genre called corridos and rancheras), describing the adventures of those who dare to cross the line and confront la migra (INS). The telenovela (soap opera) Camila, broadcast via Univision in both Mexico and the United States, concluded with the main male character, a well-educated Mexican lawyer, having to cross over mojado (undocumented) with working class migrants. In another recent telenovela, Amigas y Rivales, a character (Nayeli) flees to Los Angeles in the back of a tractor trailer when she runs up against murderous criminals who have her on a hit list. When the border patrol searches the truck and discovers the hidden human cargo, Nayeli flees once again. She makes it to Los Angeles where she becomes completely dependent on others for the basic necessities of life. These plot lines highlight the drama that is reality for many Mexicans who come to the United States.
