'The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organised habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds moulded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.' (Bernays 37)
Edward Bernays, Propaganda
As Bernays implies in the opening paragraph, the subtle emplacement of ideas into the public consciousness is a vital tool in the governance of human societies. The creation of positive reception to new ideas, either instead of, or in concert with, physical coercion allows for the transmission of ideology by interested parties, be they commercial actors, cultural figures, or the political state. This is achieved using a varied array of means, the mass media and popular culture not least among them.
In this essay we will examine a specific incident as a case study in state propaganda, with the intention of illustrating the means by which propagandist aims are achieved, and indeed, how and why such actions are necessarily propagandist. We will examine the various actors, and their roles in shaping this particular instrument of propaganda. The incident we will be examining is the relatively new phenomenon of the migracorridos, pop songs performed in the traditional Mexican folk-ballad style, warning of 'the hazards illegal immigrants [to the USA] face' (Surdin), and how they have been utilised by the American government as part of their anti-illegal immigration strategy.
As with many uses of propaganda, this action has not been without controversy; the shaping of public opinion is not something that citizens living in ostensibly liberal democracies, and who consider themselves to be free, often take kindly to. However, Edward Bernays points out in his seminal work on public relations, Propaganda, that it is this very shaping of public opinion, this persuasion, which is an essential component of the government of a 'free' society:
It might be better to have, instead of propaganda and special pleading, committees of wise men who would choose our rulers, dictate our conduct, private and public, and decide upon the best types of clothes for us to wear and the best kinds of food for us to eat. But we have chosen the opposite method, that of open competition. We must find a way to make free competition function with reasonable smoothness. To achieve this society has consented to permit free competition to be organised by leadership and propaganda. Some of the phenomena of these processes are criticised – the manipulation of news, the inflation of personality, and the general ballyhoo by which politicians and commercial products and social ideas are brought to the consciousness of the masses. The instruments by which public opinion is organised and focused may be misused. But such organisation and focusing are necessary to orderly life. (Bernays 39)
It could be argued that Bernays makes a valid argument for the possible use of propaganda by government actors in their attempts to organise public opinion within their own state, but what of attempts by the same actors to influence the citizenry of a foreign state? Surely, it must, on occasion, raise certain ethical questions. It is these issues which are at the heart of our discussion of the Department of Homeland Security's actions in the events described in this essay.
'Migracorridos'
When the CD landed on the desk of La Zeta's Director of Operations Jose Luis Gasca, he had no idea where it had come from. It had a glossy brown cover, and gold lettering spelled out the words 'Migra Corridos' (Surdin), but really, that was about it, aside from the track-listings on the reverse. The 'corrido' style of song is popular with the listeners of his radio station in Morelia, Michoacan, as it is throughout the rest of Mexico, so he decided to put it on the airwaves. Gasca was immediately struck by the messages contained in the upbeat, 'peppy, even cheerful' (Ibid.) ballads, with their tales of death and danger for the foolhardy soul who attempted to cross the troubled border with the United States of America, and it seemed they resonated with the people tuning into his show, because in his words 'they encourage people to become aware of the risks of crossing the border...something that often leads to disaster..' (qtd. In Ceresole). This was a pattern that was repeated across northern Mexico in 2006, as the mysterious Migra Corridos CD began to be played on local and regional radio stations with increasing frequency as listeners requested the songs which so struck a chord with them, many perhaps knowing persons who had attempted to cross the border, and who had died or been injured in the attempt.
Crossing the US/Mexico border is an incredibly dangerous affair. The desert is excruciatingly hot and dry, to the point many people simply perish due to the extreme weather conditions, in summer temperatures that often reach 120ºF. According to the US Border Patrol, 'on the Arizona border, just north of Sonora, Mexico, the summer desert proved fatal for 63 people during July alone' (US Customs and Border Patrol). Not only that, but there are other dangers, in particular those posed by people-traffickers (colloquially known as 'coyotes' or 'polleros') – groups of individuals who agree to smuggle would-be migrants across the US border in exchange for sums of money. Once small-scale 'cottage industry'-type illegal people-smuggling operations, these have now evolved into increasingly organised, increasingly elaborate, and most importantly for vulnerable migrants, increasingly violent gangs, as older networks of individual smugglers have been muscled out of business by more sophisticated, but also more brutal, drug cartels. As journalist Mary Jordan, writing for the Washington Post Foreign Service points out:
The equipment used by coyotes – a flashlight for a nighttime wade across the Rio Grande – has been replaced by encrypted radios, cell phones that are discarded and changed every few hours and the Internet. Smugglers communicate across the border by radio or e-mail, signaling movements of U.S. patrol agents or the arrival of a new batch of people preparing to cross. (Jordan)
These organisations represent a significant risk to the lives and well-being, both of those who would seek to take advantage of the services they offer, and those government officials who's job it is to keep the border secure, as Jordan goes on to state:
Smugglers also are [now] more likely to be armed and violent. There have been many cases in Mexico of coyotes robbing and raping their customers or abandoning them before they ever reach the border. In the past year, on a stretch of the border near Tucson, 100 incidents of violence against the Border Patrol have been recorded.(Ibid.)
There is also the very real possibility of being kidnapped and sold into modern-day slavery, forced to work either as manual labour or sex-workers in order to pay off supposed 'debts' – A typical practice of human traffickers around the globe:
Of particular worry is a deeper smuggling network inside the United States, including drop houses where immigrants are kept, often against their will, until they pay off smuggling fees... U.S. officials say some human smuggling groups are starting to mirror the structure and methods of drug smugglers. Just as rival drug gangs often steal from each other..."gangs are ripping off aliens [from other smugglers] and holding aliens captive until they sell them to a buyer." The buyer is usually a relative or an employer. (Ibid.)
These are the types of issues raised in the migracorridos – narrative folks songs which weave cautionary tales from the perils and pitfalls awaiting potential border-jumpers. The corrido is a form of traditional Mexican folk ballad, and functions largely in the same way as the English broadside ballad, in that, 'at one time it played the role of the press: the news used to spread all over the countryside in songs' (Studiolum). They are simple compositions, to be sung by the 'man-in-the-street', indeed, perhaps even written by him – in any case, the corrido is a style of folk song which is ideal for transmission between people, easily recalled and performed as a way of spreading messages, be they messages of Mexican nationalism (as was the case in the Mexican revolution) or current events. In his thoroughly-researched blog on folk poetry and art, Poemas del Rio Wang (http://riowang.blogspot.com), blogger Studiolum provides a brief and comprehensive description of the corrido form, which helps to highlight it's usefulness as a means of ideological transmission:
The corrido is characterized by spontaneity, and by a simple language and melody. It uses few poetic tools, but it is very concise, and gives more importance to the rhythm than to the form. Its classical form is the quatrain 8a 8b 8a 8b which also permits more than one poem to be sung with the same melody. This is why they can also easily be modified and actualized, so that one corrido lives on in several versions. (Studiolum)
As earlier stated, this form is used in the migracorridos to describe the misfortunes that befall those that attempt to cross the US/Mexico border illegally, acting as warnings to those who may wish to undertake attempts to do the same. In some instances, these warnings are explicitly made, as is the case with 'Veinte Años' ('Twenty Years'), in which the narrator sings the following lines (here translated into English), 'Before you cross the border, remember that you can be just as much a man by chickening out and staying, because it's better to keep your life than ending up dead' (qtd. in Surdin). In other songs, the warnings take the shape of descriptions of horrific events, or incredibly arduous journeys, such as in 'El Más Grande Enemigo' ('The Greatest Enemy') which tells the tale of Abelardo, who 'watches his cousin die of dehydration in the desert heat' (LeBrón): After some hours, Abelardo opened his eyes, and in the middle of the cold night, discovered his dead cousin at his side. (qtd. in Surdin)'. There are also accounts of brushes with 'coyotes', such as 'El Respeto' ('Respect'):
A young man who tries to reach America "to become someone" gives an account of his own death - and that of his friends. The... trafficker smuggling them across the border for a fee, runs away, leaving them locked inside the truck in which they were being transported to suffocate. (Ceresole)
Elevación
Elevation. A state of mind... an attitude and belief shared by client and agency... that we will never settle. Elevation. A tenet that says together, we will reach new heights in brand awareness, advertising, creative and market share. Elevation. Raising the bar... into orbit!
(source: www.elevation-us.com)
The lyrics describing these often extremely harrowing incidents were written by Rodolfo Hernández, Creative Director of Washington-based Hispanic marketing company, Elevación. The company was founded by Peruvian-born marketing strategist Jim Learned and his Spanish partner Pablo Izquierdo in 2001 after working on the New York mayoral campaign of then-candidate Michael Bloomberg. It seems clear that billionaire businessman and financial mogul Bloomberg would encounter significant difficulty in inserting himself into the consciousness of a largely working-class New York Latino constituency, without a plan of action which would allow him to announce his presence with subtlety:
"Bloomberg wasn't looking for a political strategy," Learned said. "He was looking for a consumer strategy, in the Hispanic market they wouldn't know him walking down the street . . . we had to introduce him as a regular guy." (qtd. in Lazo)
The 'regular guy' approach was ultimately successful. Bloomberg insisted on learning Spanish, the better to talk directly to potential Hispanic voters, but it was also arguably useful as a demonstration of humility, showing that he attached great importance to being able to make himself understood to the city's many Spanish-speakers without the need for a translator, or for his voice to be dubbed over in election TV spots. He was elected mayor of New York, and retained the services of Learned and Izquierdo's, by now, fully formed company Elevación for his re-election campaign in 2005, during which he faced-off against Puerto-Rican-American politician Fernando Ferrer.
The duo had political experience prior to this, as they had worked on Al Gore's presidential election campaign in 2000 whilst at EMM Hispanic, the Spanish-language offshoot of marketing agency EMM Creative, which Sen. Gore had hired as a last minute (they were recruited a mere two months before the election was due to take place) attempt to capture a significant portion of the Latino voter-base (Author Unknown). Gore's election bid was ultimately unsuccessful.
As we can see, in addition to private commercial clients, Elevación work closely and frequently with an American political class keen to engage with increasing numbers of Spanish-speaking voters. Indeed, the company even played a part in the success of Barack Obama's presidential campaign:
Obama's campaign reported paying Elevación more than $700,000 through the primaries in January for producing ads and placing the media buys. Elevación and Obama's campaign parted ways in January. "Different perspectives as to the community," says Learned. (qtd. in Author Unknown)
Whatever those 'different perspectives' were, they certainly didn't stand in the way of what is possibly Elevación's most intriguing campaign to date, and the wider subject of this essay, a campaign entitled 'No Más Cruces en la Frontera'.
'La Migra'
'No Más Cruces en la Frontera' (No More Crosses on the Border) is the name of an advertising campaign designed and managed by Elevación on behalf of the United States Department of Homeland Security, as part of the Customs and Border Protection Agency's (CBP) 'Border Security Initiative' (BSI). According to the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA), the campaign has primarily 'focused on purchasing airtime in Mexico for television and radio spots that provide cautionary tales for those thinking about heading to El Norte. The campaign marks the first time the Border Patrol has bought airtime for advertisements' (Lebron). The adverts are an attempt to spell out the dangers of illegal immigration from Central America to the United States, with a specific and explicit accent upon the associated physical peril: '“We are doing everything possible to warn people against challenging the heat and the laws,” said Kristi Clemens, Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs for CBP. “We’re not subtle about it. No one wants to see people die.”' (US Customs and Border Patrol) It is worth noting that this statement by a CBP official seems to place equal emphasis upon upholding US immigration laws, and the preservation of the lives of attempted immigrants. However the illegality of attempting to surreptitiously cross the border is rarely, if ever, discussed in the 'No Más Cruces en la Frontera' advertisements; instead, preferential treatment is given to images of suffering, harsh conditions and inevitable mortality:
In one poster, men walk in a line, with some of their shadows showing as crosses rather than bodies. In another, someone has collapsed in a seemingly endless desert. "Before crossing to the other side," the poster advises, "remember that the burial plots are full of the valiant and the macho." (Surdin)
The message seems to be clear – don't attempt to cross the US/Mexico border, not because it is illegal, but because you will die.
The 'Migracorridos' CD is the latest propaganda tool employed by Elevación in their campaign on behalf of the CBP (colloquially known amongst illegal immigrants and 'coyotes' as La Migra). By firmly establishing a pervasive media presence, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is potentially able to create an atmosphere in which there is the widely-accepted notion that in trying to cross the border with America, one is likely to meet a tragic end. By furnishing radio DJs with 'Migracorridos', in regions from which large numbers of illegal migrants come, the DHS is also able to invade the cultural space of its intended targets. This cultural invasion is taking place in relative secrecy, as the fact that 'Migracorridos' is financed by the US government is not widely publicised. The DJs to which the music was submitted for consideration were not informed of this fact, and there is little indication of the DHS' involvement, though 'more discerning eyes might notice "bsi" (for Border Safety Initiative) at the bottom right-hand corner inside the cover' (Surdin). Learned and company had decided, after lengthy and thorough research, that the album would be better-received if no mention were made of its source, as Elevación vice president Pablo Izquierdo states: 'When we approached the Mexican media, we approached it as a humanitarian campaign... We didn't tell them who was behind it because consumer research indicated that it wasn't going to be as well-received' (qtd. in Surdin). Despite the avowed humanitarian motives of Izquierdo et al., NACLA has a very different perspective on the campaign:
Ultimately, the No Más Cruces campaign, contrary to statements by the Border Patrol, does not address issues of safety along the border. The television spots and the songs do not offer any safety recommendations beyond telling migrants not to cross.(Lebron)
As the songs grow in popularity, and Elevación head Jim Learned certainly seems to think that this is taking place ('I even think that one of the songs was nominated for an award in Mexico' (qtd. in Ceresole), perhaps their popularity will inspire other Mexican musicians to write material in a similar vein, ultimately doing the DHS's job for it, and pushing the message which is at the heart of the campaign: Don't come to the USA.
Conclusion
The 'Migracorridos' incident is an almost text-book case of propaganda. The Department of Homeland Security, identifying illegal immigration from Mexico as problematic, set about hiring a proxy, a 'face', to aid them in dealing with the situation over the border. They turned to an experienced group of propagandists, Elevación – a company which had managed propaganda campaigns for leading politicians and which they themselves had occasion to employ in 2003 on a prior terrorism vigilance campaign called 'Listo' ('Ready') which provided information on 'emergency preparedness and actions' (Bostic) in the event of terror attacks. The campaign was specifically tailored to have cultural appeal to Latino citizens in terms of its imagery and aesthetic. They saw in Elevación an organisation with the required expertise and credibility in being able to reach out to Hispanic audiences and connect with them. For would-be Mexican border-jumpers, simply saying 'do not cross the US/Mexico border, it is illegal' would not do; the desire to cross is too great, the desperate longing for a new and more prosperous life, too pressing. No, a more subtle and nuanced approach is required in order to ensure one's message is effective, as this passage by Edward Bernays illustrates:
One reason the public relations of a business are frequently placed in the hands of an outside expert, instead of being confided to an officer of the company, is the fact that the correct approach to a problem may be indirect. For example, when the luggage industry attempted to solve some of its problems by a public relations policy, it was realised that the attitude of railroads, of steamship companies, and of foreign government-owned railroads was an important factor in the handling of the luggage. If a railroad and a baggage man, for their own interest, can be educated to handle baggage with more facility and promptness, with less damage to the baggage, and less inconvenience to the passanger; if the steamship company lets down, in its own interests, its restrictions on luggage; if the foreign government eases up on its baggage costs and transportation in order to further tourist travel; then the luggage manufacturers will profit. (Bernays 91-92)
In other words, one must create an atmosphere of sympathy to one's ultimate aim. In the case of the DHS, their ultimate aim was to stem the flow of migrants from Central America, and to create the required atmosphere of sympathy and acquiescence, they, in concert with Elevación, decided that the best way to achieve their aim was to persuade the Mexican public that attempting an illegal border crossing was a highly dangerous endeavour, and carried significant risk of rape, murder or robbery, not to mention death from exposure and exhaustion. In order to carry out this objective, news stories would be placed within the media of Mexico and the southern USA, carrying gruesome stories of the misfortune and murder of hapless 'illegals'. CBP officers tell stories of violent attacks and desiccated bodies retrieved from the harsh, unforgiving desert. Posters and TV adverts implore people to consider the risks posed by 'coyotes' and 'polleros' to innocent victims attempting enter the USA illegally, and demand that no more crucifixes be hung from the border fence to signify dead loved-ones. To cap it all off, turn on the radio and you will hear songs in the traditional Mexican style, telling the tragic tale of Abelardo and his dying cousin, or the forty people left by a pollero to suffocate to death in a sealed truck, as the US government attempts to plant its message within the folk consciousness of their southern neighbours.
List of References
Books
Bernays, E. 2005. Propaganda. New York. IG Publishing.
Online Sources
Author Unknown. 2008. 'A Special Report on Political Marketing in the Hispanic Market'.
Source: http://www.masconsulting.net/pressroom_hispanic.html Accessed on: 8th May 2011
Bostic, T. M. Date Unknown. 'Elevacion Does Anti-Terrorist PSA in Spanish'.
Source: http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising/elevacion-does-anti-terrorist-psa-spanish 68915 Accessed on: 8th May 2011
Ceresole, C. 2008. 'US Uses Songs to Deter Immigrants'.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7879206.stm Accessed on: 8th May 2011
Jordan, M. 2001. 'People Smuggling Now Big Business in Mexico'.
Source: http://earthops.org/immigration/human-cargo1.html Accessed on: 8th May 2011
Lazo, A. 2008. 'La Plaza: At The Corner of Madison Ave. & K St.'.
Source: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washbizblog/2008/10/la_plaza_3.html
Accessed on: 8th May 2011
LeBron, M. 2009. 'Migracorridos': Another Failed Anti-Immigration Campaign'.
Source: https://nacla.org/node/5625 Accessed on: 8th May 2011
Studiolum. 2008. 'Mexican Corrido'
Source:http://riowang.blogspot.com/2008/07/mexican-corrido.html)
Accessed on: 8th May 2011
Surdin, A. 2009. 'Crossover Appeal'. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2009/03/13/AR2009031304234.html Accessed on: 8th May 2011
US Customs and Border Patrol. 2005. 'Agents Fight Record Heat to Save Lives on Southern Border'.
Source: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/CustomsToday/2005/Jul_Aug/other/lk_heat_wave.xml
Accessed on: 8th May 2011
Websites
http://www.elevation-us.com
http://riowang.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment