November 16,2012 English
Why has Frank changed?
A couple of days ago, the class started to watch an episode from a television show called 30 Days. In this show, people spend 30 days living in a particular lifestyle with which they are unfamiliar. This episode is about a man, Frank, who opposes illegal immigration, mainly from Mexico, and spends 30 days with a family of illegal Mexican immigrants. Also, the audience gets to view Frank’s metamorphosis from a strong-hearted protester of illegal immigration into a much more understanding man.
The Gonzalez family was the family Frank had to live with. The main family members were Rigoberto, Paty, and Armi. Rigoberto was a handyman that worked in dangerous conditions for a low salary. Rigoberto is Paty’s husband and Armi’s dad. Paty collected bottles to make money. Armi is a high school senior that has worked hard in school to give her family a better future. After Frank met the family, he disagreed a lot with their views on immigration, but especially Armi’s. When Paty showed Frank the money she saved for her kids’ Christmas, that’s what made him feel a little bit more sympathy for them. This was one example of Frank’s changing views.
Another example of Frank’s changing ways, was when Rigoberto offered the idea for Frank to visit his house and brother in Mexico. When Frank arrived at the Gonzalez’s former home, he saw that the living conditions were so poor that it’s not possible for a family of five or six to survive in and their water source was completely contaminated. Also, with Frank meeting Rigoberto’s brother, who explained that Rigoberto was making 50 cents, in the Unites States currency, an hour and how that amount of money was not enough to support his family. This helped to show Frank the reality of why the Gonzalez had to leave Mexico for a much more clean life.
The last example of how Frank has changed, was when Armi asked him how his relationship with the Minutemen, a self-appointed group of people who decide to patrol the border between the United States and Mexico, really was. He said