'This (Illegal) American Life': Vanguard Trailer

This is such a stupid stupid program. I can't even be bother to go into it. So stupid.

It's totally OK for white people to sail their boats to other peoples countries, shoot the local inhabitants, setup their plantations, raid other countries for slaves, shoot some more people, knock off a bit more territory from the neighbours...

...but god help any other poor soul who comes looking for work no one else will do or seek a better life. Why that's just not on!

I was going to Torrent this but watching the previews and seeing the comments has me believing it's just the typical pro-illegalism that's all the rage with you snobs these days.

It really disgusts me that you guys would actually take your views and make it look like realistic reporting....

First I must say that I am NOT WHITE, I'm half Latino, however I have no agenda. I don't identify as a Latino or white, I don't have relatives who are itching to jump the border and make some quick cash and I don't have any other family in the USA besides my brother and one parent, but even I can see how utterly stupid it is to just let people enter as they please.

There really isn't any good sane reason to have an open border, that's why no other country does it.

Firstly let's talk about why pro-illegalism is so cool, its because socially it shows that your tolerant and progressive. But if you really think about it, your actually in a way more racist than the people who want to keep the border closed. The reason I say this is because you want Hispanics to come and go as they please but you don't fight just as hard for White/Black/Asian Americans to be extended the same rights with the Mexican border. You try to illegally move to Mexico, you'll be either jailed or sent back the second a cop asks you for your passport.

So your next argument is that well they have it much worst over there than we do over here. Well how do we enact change to our society and government, we fight, we protest, we vote. How are they supposed to do that thousands of miles away in another country? How are they even going to be motivated to do it when they can just walk across the boarder to get away from it?

So your next argument will be it's not their fault or problem it's all because of those horrible drug dealers and crime lords, they're making Mexico/South America a horrible place. Let me ask you how do those horrible people make money, how do they arm themselves? We here in America do it!! They smuggle millions of dollars of drugs here daily and we buy them. Not only that but we also send back weapons so they can defend themselves. Were fueling the fire.

So how does that girl in the documentary get a good education, only America has good schools. Total nonsense, firstly through the proper channels you can get school visas, they really aren't that difficult. Secondly, do you think that we alone have great schools, that's so ignorant. There's so many good schools even in Latin America, much more exclusive and difficult to get into, and many more good schools the world over for foreigners to learn as well. Don't let American propaganda fool you into thinking that we're the land of opportunity, there's certainly others.

How do we find the workforce to do the demeaning jobs that are beneath us??? You don't, get that stick out of your behind and get to work, we can't all be millionaire playboys. Again this is to do with that propaganda that gives us all hope that we're better than that and that we can make it in our opportunistic land. Our attitudes and policies need to change, there's so many people that can work but choose to live off welfare and workman's comp. People would rather beg in the street than work, it's a shame. We need to stop paying beggars to be bums and "teaching them how to fish". What about the crazy ones/handicapped? We're one of the wealthiest countries on earth and we cannot keep those who cannot take care of themselves off the street, we'd rather make bombs than make beds for them. And as for the physically handicapped, there's so many technologies that allow them to contribute, and that's such a small percentage of the population anyway. I know plenty of people on Workmans Comp because there back/legs are messed up, but that doesn't prevent you from getting a desk job! Why not re-train these people in professions they can do than to pay them to rot away?

Well the farmers/business owners prefer Illegals to Legal workers. That's 100% true, why? It's incredibly difficult to legally hire an employee, to do it right you'll need to hire a lawyer or study so many laws you could become one. It's so hard to deal with not only laws but the paperwork, worry about lawsuits, and complicated taxes. Not only that but to even place an ad in the paper is HUNDREDS of dollars, $75 on Craigslist. Too long has the government been reliant on business especially small business to carry it on it's back. What it's been doing for the last few decades is put more responsibility on business and levy more taxes, licenses, permits, on them to make up for their irresponsibility with money. Yes big companies have amazing accountants and lobbyists so that they pay as little as possible but small business has none of these things.

The biggest argument for a closed border is the fact that if you let everyone enter, just that will happen, EVERYONE WILL ENTER. not just the poor honest Joe but the drugs/drug dealers, murderers, and other low lives that cost us money, our lives, and our way of life. I'm not saying don't let anyone in, I'm saying lets screen everyone and only let in those that can improve our society and make us STRONG.

Lets face it, we're only fooling ourselves into thinking that we can best nature. There's this thing called natural selection, and in the natural world there's winners and there's losers. Just as not everyone can be rich can we expect that we can make every other country as rich as ours.

Just watched this show a second time. I am even more amazed at the slant of the program. Like I should somehow feel bad for these people. I grew up in central washington during the 60's and 70's. At that time and still today it was a soil rich farming and ranching economy. I myself worked summers doing agricultural work, picking fruit, bailing hay, packaging produce, pulling weeds, etc. I worked along side illegals every day who were as far as I new from Mexico. In the 70's illegal migrant workers were often exploited for cheap labor. They were even more greatly exploited by legals of their own heritage using the threat of deportation to get them to only use their stores to purchase goods at ridiculously inflated prices. Just a little background of my personal experience.
Although I can empathize with the plight of the poor in Mexico. Americans do not have any idea what poverty is. I have been to Mexico several times, I spent 26 years in the military and I have seen what poverty truly looks like. Still I believe that undocumented, illegal aliens or whatever you want to call these people do not belong here. How can this girl go to UCLA without proper documentation.http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/budget.htm outlines tuition and fees for UCLA for CA residents is 23K-29K and Out of State is 46K-54K a year. Of course the show failed to mention how she paid for her education. My guess is grants. What made me most upset was when she complained that she wasn't given a free place to live along with her free education.
Nobody can argue that illegal immigration cost tax paying american citizens hundreds of millions if not billions every year. Simple math, the show stated that approx 65k undocumented kids were attending High School. 65K x 8K a year cost of education = 520million.
I support deportation and closed borders. I am also sick of hearing for spanish press 2. We are the only country(I have been to 32) I have ever been to where this occurs. I most other countries if you do not speak the language you are SOL.

I am so glad that this piece was done because it proves why these people deserve to be United States citizens. Llse if you are watching you have so inspired me, as an American citizen, I pray that one day soon I will be able read soon that you are now a US citizen because you, your family as well as the other family followed in this piece are so deserving. Keep your head up it will work out and I am praying that it does too! I : - )

Really loved this piece. One of the best telling of this story ever made. Please Keep it Up. Between Vanguard and the New Young Turks show I think Current may really start to change things. Spread the word.

Also a doc on successful past illegal immigrants who are positive parts of the american community now would be a nice companion piece.

Excellent doc...Has inspired me to make my own.

So New Mexico is another one of these "sanctuary" states that screws over taxpaying US Citizens while giving preferential treatment to illegals. Try applying to the Nursing program at the top two public universities in the State - if you are not a "resident" don't waste your time because "a publicly funded institution, New Mexico residents are given preference. Geographical distribution from within the state also may be a factor in selecting the entering class as part of our search for diversity.... admissions may be capped at a specified number each year to match resources. Many qualified applicants are regrettably denied admission." So, even though I became a "resident" halfway through my undergraduate degree program, earned three degrees from State Colleges in NM, after graduating I lost my residency ... why? Well, I had to leave NM because I was called to Active Duty and sent overseas. Now, years later when I want to go to Nursing School (and males are a minority that gets ignored in their quest for "DIVERSITY" as do "older" students, especially if they are also male) I can't get in - even with a 3.9 GPA in my Nursing Prerequisite Courses ... but the illegals can get in AND get reduced tuition!

people just seem to forget that they are ILLEGAL!! thats where all the "hatred" is coming from.....come here LEGALLY and no one cares where you came from as long as you followed the rules of law!! and no more anchor babies.....every other country you leave and take the kid with you, once old enough the child can decide on the country they want to live in until then they have dual citizenship!!

I'm kinda thinking out loud but since watching this episode I can't help but wonder why, if the Govt. knows that there are illegal immigrants working for these large food chain corporations, then why don't they investigate them or ask for all their workers social security and immigration papers? Wouldn't that be the first place to target? Who benefits from not targeting these corporations? Surely with all these loop holes within the system, working, going to school, not paying taxes or medicaid etc, shouldn't Americans take a look at the system that is set up by the Govt? Maybe if someone reads this and knows the answer to why thees corporations are not penalized for hiring illegal immigrants I'd love to know?

did anyone bother to ask just how these illegal immarants pay taxes that they like to boast about so much - do they use legal means to obtain a Social Security number or do they buy them on the nearest street corner and cause some innocent legal citizen untold problems? Sorry but to me this is not paying taxes. How do they attend college, through grants, student loans (that are never repaid) or some other type of government assistance that is obtained illigially because this illegal is using illegal identifican. When they obtain jobs, are they again using illegal identification of a legal American citizen and how many dependents do they claim on their W4's - 1 or 9 - again causing more problems. Has anyone asked a legal American citizen how much trouble has been caused from this type of identity theft? How many illegals that have jobs here pay for medical insurance? All of the ones I have worked with do NOT and their wiives go to the health department and have their illegal children here without paying one thin dime for the care or hospital bill at birth. Sorry but this is costing legal Americans to much and now Obama wants illegals to get Social Security benefits that they have paid NOT not even a penny into since they used someone else's social security number. I have worked since I was 16, used my legal identification, and now MY benefits are being cut because and illegal immagrant wants his fair share. NO WAY

...i don't know all the facts and figures but it seems to me that the govt. are very hypocritical when it comes to immigration. the politicians are quite happy to turn a blind eye and have these people pick this country's fruit and vegetables, work in these harsh conditions with no benefits etc but yet want the illegals out of the country! how does that work i wonder? would Americans work under these conditions? probably not! or would Americans work at the numerous of other menial jobs around the country for low wages? it's a double standard as far as i see it! it's like the govt. are saying, "we really don't want you here but we'll let some of you stay, as long as you do our labor intensive and crappy jobs that no one else wants! and to the one guy who said, "it's my land..." i would beg to differ! it's not his land, it's the American Indians land actually and unless the guy was Native American Indian, he himself would also be considered an immigrant! i'm not condoning illegal immigration but how was America formed? through immigrants wanting to build a better life for themselves and their families! arresting a few token immigrants is not solving the big picture here in the U.S. and never will. the U.S. govt. picks and chooses when it's beneficial to have immigrants in this country and when it's not! typical politicians!

i grew up in oxnard, the field workers buy drugs off the land owners to work harder and the liqor store sells them beer without an id. they pay into social security that they don't collect that nobody complains about and they don't shut down the farm land that employs them either. boycott veggies if you really want to make a change.if not everyone who is unemployed line them up in the border across the u.s. to protect the entrance.

The reasons why some 'Americans' don't have jobs is because of a mass failure of a system called 'Capitalism; which brings much wealth to a few 5% of the world while the rest of the people are distracted with fighting amongst ourselves. Lets get real: The Illuminati are really running the show all over the world and you all who are turning on immigrants are doing exactly what was expected, not focusing on the real problem. This country, and the people who founded it were dead on arrival for a willingness to look everywhere but up, at the people that were controlling them. Hatred and segregation are contagious and hard to cure. Lets no forget, that these same white and black americans who look down on immigrants and call the 'illegal'' were once 'illegal'' themselves based of rules designed to keep people divided and fighting for scraps. It was illegal in this same country for blacks and whites to form intimate relationships, these laws were overturned, and now we have a president that is the picture of times of change. For those who argue that immigrants pose and economic threat to the U.S. they must forget that it was people from all over the world, voluntarily or involuntarily, who built this nation for almost nothing in return, except for a promise that one day they would live a better life then the one they had. For these people from afar and near (e.g. Indigenous people who were thousands of years before Columbus) these dreams are becoming/are a realty. People who have nothing are the ones who deserve the help, not the people who judge them. A new world is forming and you'll be stuck on this discussion board and stormfront ranting endlessly while the majority step over you and do better!

My "Dream Act" would be MASS deportation!!!

I watched your Program and I am Pro Legal Immigration and Anti-Illegal Immigration. These people who are in our country Illegally should be immediately deported, kids or not. They broke our laws. Our country cannot take One Million Legal Immigrants and One Million ILLEGAL immigrants every year. Here is what happening in Utah that you may not be aware of.

We have 110,000 to 220,000 (US Attorney estimates) in Utah.
6.8% of the K-12 kids in our public schools are Known to be Illegal, not the 14th Amendment Birth Right kids. The cost to educate the 38,000 (6.8% of 550,000 in K-12 schools) is $8000 each for an annual cost of $300 Million (not a misprint), $300,000,000 from tax payer Public Education (75% of my property taxes go to K-12 schools). That is NOT small change.

$240 Million ($240,000,000) is wired to countries outside Utah mainly to Mexico every year, never to be circulated to create jobs in Utah.

Last year, 4500 babies were born in Utah Hospitals from Illegal Mothers paid for by Medicaid (tax dollars).

These 4500 babies, as Medicaid babies were then eligible for Food Stamps and WIC and other Social Services.

Half of our Emergency room patients are Illegals every year.

Many of these Illegals are hired and paid "Under the Table" especially Farmers and work as day laborers at Home Depot. When ICE has a raid, the farmers hide these people. So the myth of these people paying taxes is just a myth. The "Pay under the table is all over the place".

The Chamber of Commerce (Cheap exploited labor paid under the table), US Citizens who are married to an Illegal (knowing that if their spouse is discovered will be deported and not allowed application for US Citizenship for 10 years), the ACLU, and Hispanic Law firms who sue school districts that cost taxpayers Millions to have ESL in schools, are just a few who want amnesty. All have a financial reason for wanting Illegals not deported.

Recently, over 14,000 marijuana plants were discovered being grown in our national forests. We are in danger if we happen to hike and stumble on a crop. The marijuana crop value is greater than the state's wheat crop.

According to the US Attorney, 80% of identity theft is from Illegals and it costs $1500 and 400 hours to get your identity back.

Most of the Crystal Meth, Cocaine, and other drugs are brought in by Illegals.

We need to get these people out of our country. They have broken our laws and are bleeding the taxpayer and our social services for the selfish benefit and I and many others are sick of it.

The Supreme Court 5 to 4 decision when Texas was sued for wanting to charge $1000 for Illegal Kids education, was not a Slam Dunk. Times have changed and the cost to educate the Illegals is now $7000 to $10,000 a year.
The US Supreme court attached some conditions, as long as the cost was not impacting the community. I think, our $300 Million annual cost to pay for Illegals in K-12 is impacting the community. With 9% of our state out of work, we need to rid our community of these people.

Recently, in our community, Illegals, from Mexico have been robbing homes in broad daylight with a "slick scheme". Many neighbors are not aware they have been robbed until they look for a tool or other items.

These are mainly people from Mexico, they are poor and have no problem stealing from us "dumb Gringos".

By the way, the RIchest man in the world lives in Mexico and Mexico has a 5% Unemployment rate. These people who have broken our laws, are being exploited, and taking advantage of our generosity need to GO HOME.

The first thing we should be done is to quit dehumanize these people by labeling them. When we refer to them, as anything else but hard working men and woman who go through hell to survive and support their families.
It was hard not to get emotional watching this family.

Immigrants, documented or not, provide so much to our country. It's time we provide a way to citizenship or at least legal residency so that these people can bring their families, the same as all of our ancestors did - except the Native Americans, who were forced to put up with us.

I watched the show and seen what is happening in alot of places with people wanting to get all who they call "illegals" out of the U.S. . I see one thing a lot of people are not looking at if they all went back home who will do the jobs some so called americans refuse to do their self and as for them paying no taxes they pay just as everyone else in one way or another , they buy food, clothes, some smoke and pay to get around on a bus or take a cab .
I live in Ohio and know some undocumented workers that do the work some people don't want to the reason "they don't like to get sweaty or get grass stains on their new shoes" , I am friends with some I know to be undocumented workers and some with temporary visa's they are not all mexican they come from all around the world .
A lot of the people argueing need to look at their past where did their family come from . I may have been born in Ohio but I am mostly native american , I do not look at someone and judge them for their skin color, language, body type to me we all are all people trying to make it in the world as we can . The people I do have an opinion for are the ones with the drug trades they are one reason a lot of mexicans leave their homes and country some in fear of thier lives.

Does no one listen to the details? The field worker made 10 dollars a box of strawberries, and they package 20+ daily (figuratively that is $200/day), but only sends $300 home a month? Where is the rest of it going if he lives tax free in a flop house? For many Americans living in poverty is not a choice. Why should I feel bad for individuals who come from a country of poverty and chose to bring it to another? Nothing in his life changed other than he has a reprieve from his family and less responsibility. In his instance poverty is a choice. Why would the migrant worker not be saving a set amount of money each week to move his family here legally? From 1999 to 2011 is 12 years! He doesn't have time or money to bring them here legally but had time and money to afford a trip back to see them to impregnate his wife and make the situation more dire. As for the college student "I don't know why they hate us" is she for real? Where is my UCLA diploma? If she was unable to use financial aid how did she pay for tuition? This subject was forgotten. They described her life of going home, going to church, and being a starving student. Isn’t this the experience so many talk of when they reflect on their college days of crowded dorm rooms and ramen noodles? Yes they are just coming here to make a living, but I was born here and can’t find work. I have a college degree, clean DMV, no criminal record, and good work history. Why you may ask, because everyone in my part of the central valley wants a bilingual employee to cater to a more and more Spanish Speaking community. The phrase “They do the work American’s wont” is a lie. In America we expect to be paid fairly for work and be provided with the legal standards that keep a country full of workers safe. I would gladly pick fruit for up to $200/day. My grandparents picked fruit, cotton, and worked other peoples’ lands all through the Great Depression, why would I be too good for it now during the Great Recession.

Just a thought, all of these hard working people come from Mexico and live here illegally. With all of the natural resources in Mexico why don't the citizens of Mexico stay and try to improve things for not only themselves, but their fellow countrymen. Throw out the bad government and fight for justice there. You don't change things by running away. It seems as if the Illegal workers are proud to be Mexican, prove it and help improve your country

I just wonder the U.S. WITHOUT the immigrants, legal or illegal. The country was formed on immigrants, now some of the born Americans come with this BS?It's too much of a joke. I am really deeply sorry for those who think they can get rid of immigrants. Better off would be if the US put money and help the economy of poorer countries, specially those from where these illegal immigrants come from. Nobody wants to be illegal, they just want to work and feed their families. Good video!..at least from the trailer I've just seen.

Can't wait to watch the show.