La Migra, By Pat Mora

In the society today, the problem of illegal immigration is in fact a really serious issue which can affect the bonding between many families and friends. Is this poem a strong visualization of how this problem should be handled? The poem of “La Migra” by Pat Mora presents a story about a Mexican illegal immigrant who tries to cross the border and the American border patrol stops them. The action that takes place between both individuals is shown through a childish tone, but in reality it is a serious game of death. During the game, the Mexican woman speaks about how she knows the desert and she knows where to go unlike the border patrol. On the other side, the border patrol mentions that he has a jeep and many weapons which he can use to scare the helpless Mexican immigrants. In “La Migra”, Mora uses different character traits of a Mexican woman to illustrate the troubles between illegal Mexicans and American trying to stop them. …show more content…
The author makes references to her playful character in the second part of the poem to indicate that she is not being harsh towards the American border patrol. For example, Mora uses phrases like “Let’s play”, “You be the Border Patrol” and “I’ll be the Mexican woman” to show the playfulness of the Mexican maid towards the border patrol. The fact that the poem uses such phrases, it further implies how the maid can beat the border patrol in his own game even with her calm and light-hearted attitude. Because the author shows her playful side, it helps readers visualize a tone of happiness among both the border patrol and the illegal Mexican immigrants during the deadly