Without a FaceWithout a Faceby Rage against the Machineby Rage against the Machine

About Illegal immigration About Illegal immigration

Introduction:

• Immigration to the United States is a complex demographic phenomenon that has been a major source of population growth and cultural change through out

much of the history of the United States. • In recent years the popular culture has

paid special attention to Mexican immigration

• In 2006 the United States accepted more legal immigrants as permanent residents than all other countries in the world combined.

• Over one million people were naturalized as U.S. citizens in 2008.

• Nearly 14 million immigrants entered the United States from 2000 to 2010.

• The economic realities of people who cross the border are woven into nearly every line. The green card that immigrants have to carry, controls who is a legal or not legal person in the country.

• Song: Without a face• Band: Rage against the machine• Singer: Zack de la Rocha

LyricsUhGot no card so i got not soulLife is prison, no parole, no controlTha jura got my number on a wire tap'cause i jack for similac, fuck a cadillac

Survive one motive no hope'cause every sidewalk i walk is like a tightropeYes i know my deadline sire, when my life expiresI'm sendin' paper south under tha barbed wire

Tha mother of my child will lose her mind at my graveIt's my life for their life so call it a free tradepor vida and our name up on tha stallI took a death trip when i tried ta cross tha white wallWalk unseen past tha graves an tha gates, born without a face

One motive no hope ah, born without a faceWalk unseen past tha graves an tha gates, born without a faceOne motive no hope ah, yeah, born without a faceWithout a face

Yeah, i tried ta look back ta my past long lostA blood donor ta tha land owner holocaustPops heart stopped, in came tha air dropFlooded tha trench he couldn't shake tha toxic shockMaize was all we needed ta sustainNow her golden skin burns, insecticide rainYa down wit ddt yeah you know meRaped for tha grapes, profit for tha bourgeois (?)War tape boomin' path is luminosoI'm headed north like my name was kid 'ciscoTo survive one motive no hope, ahIt's hard ta breathe wit wilson's head around my throatStrangled and mangled another ss curtain callWhen i tried ta cross tha white wallWhen i tried ta cross tha white wallsWalk unseen past tha graves an tha gates, born without a faceOne motive no hope ah, born without a faceWalk unseen past tha graves an tha gates, born without a faceOne motive no hope ah, born without a face

You say fortify, reaction, you divideAnd you say fortify, reaction, reactionAnd you say fortify, reaction, reactionYou say fortify, reaction, you divide

• The song is about the story of a Mexican immigrant trying to send money back to his family, and the circumstances that meant he was not able to provide for them in his own country.

• Zack introduces the song telling us it is about the Mexico-US border, where people take a 'death trip' trying to get into the US, a death trip because '1500 bodies have been found' on the border, people who 'tried to cross the white wall'. 

Analisis of the Stanzas:

• “ Got no card so I got not soulLife is prison, no parole, no control

Tha jura got my number on a wire tapCause I jack for Similac*, fuck a Cadillac

Survive one motive no hope”

It refers to even not being able to think about owning a car and having to steal for something as basic as baby formula.

* Similac is a formula feeding for babies

• “tried ta look back ta my past long lostA blood donor ta tha land owner holocaustPops heart stopped, in came tha air drop,

Flooded tha trench he couldn't shake the toxic shock”

In this stanza he is talking about how the immigrants used to have a history in farming in Mexico before the 'land owner holocaust' where the US dropped DDT*.

*DDT was an pesticide used to kill mosquitoes .

• “Maize was all we needed to sustain,

now her Golden skin burns, insecticide rainYa down with DDT, yeah you know me,

rapped from tha Grapes,

profit for tha bourgeoisWar tape boomin' path is Luminoso*,

I'm headed North like my name was kid Cisco*”

• 'maize was all we needed to sustain' (their land and food is desecrated by chemicals, e.g. 'DDT' so they are forced to do these things to survive)

• Luminoso is a reference to Sendero Luminoso, a organization founded in Peru in the 80's. Its goal was a cultural revolution.

• Kid Cisco was a fictional character that was Mexican, but originally he was a cruel outlaw.

“To survive one motive no hope,

it's hard ta breathe

with Wilson's hand

around my throat”

‘Wilson's hand around my throat' refers to the Republican governor who campaigned entirely on an anti-immigration platform.

“Strangled and mangled

another SS curtain call,

when I tried ta crosstha white wall”

He is comparing the wall on the border between the US and Mexico to the Berlin wall.

Conclusion:

• The immigrants are trading their lives to keep their family alive and illegal immigrants, as well as lower class people, remain in poverty in order to maintain class systems that keep capitalist societies afloat.

References:

http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/507/http://www.relix.com/features/2012/07/13/musings-on-protest-music-part-threehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cisco_Kidhttp://translate.google.com.ar/translate?hl=es&langpair=en%7Ces&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.songfacts.com%2Fdetail.php%3Fid%3D6279

Team Members: Team Members:

• Lamas, Florencia

• Feito, Sol

• Escalante, Ignacio

• Arias, Lucas