‘American Carnage’: Latino Immigrants Are More Than Resources To Exploit
Latin American horror films are unapologetic with their critiques. This is especially true when it comes to the devastating effects the United States has brought with its colonialism tendencies. We’ve talked about it plenty of times in this column. The Light on the Hill portrays how colorism is used as an excuse to exploit the Indigenous people in Peru. Skull: The Mask uses an Indigenous spirit known as Anhangá to fight against imposed Catholic beliefs in contemporary Brazil. But now it’s time to bring our attention to the United States. This column primarily focuses on Latin American countries. Given American Carnage is about Latino struggle in the United States, we must talk about it.
In her book Inventing Latinos, Laura E. Gomez covers the United States’ involvement in the Global South. She mentions their military intervention, economic exploitation, and political interference. She also explains how the United States imperialism causes chaos and destruction, which then leads to mass displacement and people leaving their country of origin. They head North to avoid state violence and seek a safer life outside of fascist rule. On some accounts, these leaders were put into place with the help of the United States.
There’s a lot of nuance needed when it comes to why a family or person would choose to leave their country of origin. Gomez’s book covers one huge impact in the opening chapters. Through her work on understanding the complex issue of Latino identity, she presents the population as a racial group instead of just being immigrants or descendants. This is where Diego Hallivis’s film American Carnage comes into play.
The title alone, American Carnage, tells you what to expect: This is going to be a horror film about the Latino struggle. We know this because the title comes straight out of Trump’s first inaugural speech. During it, he mentions wanting to end this “American Carnage”. In the opening moments of the film, we see news clips of this specific moment. This is followed by his anti-immigration statements, referring to immigrants as animals. This intro intercuts with how the media has been presenting Latinos. It starts by stating how the culture is being exploited by capitalist greed. On top of that, we Latinos are villains through characters such as Tony Montana. Behind it all, it also shows how integrated Latine culture is within the United States by this point.
This intro immediately sets the tone for American Carnage. It stays consistent as we meet our protagonist JP (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.). He’s working for the fictional fast food restaurant chain Lady Liberty’s. Inside the establishment, we see how rooted family values and protecting each other within the community. This is instantly contradicted when JP is working the drive-thru, and he comes in contact with two white racist customers. The two men blurt out slurs against JP. Only he uses this moment to turn the situation on its head by announcing it to the whole restaurant. This scene is important as it establishes that this film will be blatant about its display of racism towards Latinos but with a light tone.
American Carnage could easily turn into a mean film. It has the necessary plot points like the gritty, realistic Culture Shock (directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero). Both films display the detention holding centers. But, the former also includes an ICE raid where JP and his sister Lily (Yumarie Morales) are detained. This occurs due to the governor in American Carnage issuing an executive order to arrest the children of undocumented immigrants. Once JP and other children are held captive, the youth are offered an opportunity. To help their parents with their charges they can volunteer for a program that aids the elderly.
This is where we meet Camila (Jenna Ortega), Big Mac (Allen Maldonado), and Micah (Bella Ortiz). Hallivis’ writing shines during the interview scene for the EATU (Elderly Americans Tolerance Understanding) program. He introduces the new characters through an interview sequence with the detention officers. These scenes bring up issues such as underpaid labor workers and the complex identity of Afro-Latinos through quirky one-liners. For a film like American Carnage, it is important to highlight the general struggles many Latinos face. However, there is a core theme; the exploitation of undocumented Latino immigrants.
The exploitation of Latinos, from taking their land to seeing them as nothing more than resources, can be traced back to the start of the colonization process. It has surfaced throughout the centuries in many different forms, including an underpaid labor force. JP brings it up during the interview scene as a comedic one-liner. He’s asked if he is a part any of gang or organization and he mentions the labor force. His delivery is light in tone and the film circles back to this premise.
Only this time, we see it through a more literal and horrific process. The EATU chairman Eddie (Eric Dane) has been filling the detainees with false hope. He promises a safe future for the kids and their detained loved ones who are still detained. But no one has seen this plan come to fruition. This is because they become literal livestock. They are injected with hormones and sent to the slaughterhouse to be turned into the main meat source for Lady Liberty’s.
The governor, who represents far-right American politicians, and his accomplice Eddie, who represents capitalism, see Latino immigrants as subordinate. To them, Latinos are nothing but resources to extract from. Once they are depleted, they are disposed of, fueling greedy pockets through the consumption of their bodies. Their bodies are seen as a means to produce resources until they can’t. This is until the characters decide to make a change. The survivors of the group escape and shine a light on the atrocities they have witnessed and endured.
American Carnage is a far from perfect film, but it has a lot of heart. It has a charm that some viewers may gravitate towards. Seeing such a diverse cast of Latinos is also a breath of fresh air. While this film does highlight the many issues Latinos currently face, it also shows us persevering through the hard times. Because facing situations rooted in colonization has been a part of our history for centuries. It’s inside of the Latino identity, and we’ll fight through the oppression time and time again.
Categorized:Editorials Horror En Espanol
