Sobre Nada

EL TLCAN: Y SU REPRESENTACIÓN EN EL FEMICIDIO DE CIUDAD JUÁREZ

Carla De Pozzio

A Thesis
Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green
State University in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS
August 2010
Committee:
Dr. Amy Robinson, Advisor
Dr. Francisco Cabanillas
Dr. Amílcar Challú
Dr. Federico Chalupa

© 2010
Carla De Pozzio
AllRights Reserved

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ABSTRACT

Dr. Amy Robinson, Advisor
This thesis investigates the representation of NAFTA in two documentaries and
two films about violence against women in Ciudad Juárez. Chapter I outlines Mexico’s
adoption of neoliberal economic policies that culminated in NAFTA, and then specifies
individual clauses in the NAFTA text that illustrates the promises and expectationsthat
accompanied the signing of the free trade agreement. These clauses are: Chapter 7 on
Agriculture, Chapter 11 on Inversion, and the additional agreements on labor and the
environment. The main analysis then, evaluates two documentaries and two Hollywoodtype feature movies. Chapter II analyzes Lourdes Portillo's Señorita extraviada (2001),
and Steev Hise's On the Edge: Femicide in CiudadJuárez (2006). Señorita extraviada,
was selected because it was the first documentary that brought to light and investigated
the problem of the women’s murders in Ciudad Juárez, trying to identify the real culprits.
On the Edge, was chosen because director Hise's main focus was to evaluate all the
different components that originated and exacerbated the problem of the femicide in
Ciudad Juárez.Both documentaries represent NAFTA as an explicit or implicit factor that
is associated with the femicide murders. Chapter III analyzes Bordertown (2006) from
director Gregory Nava starring Jennifer López, and El traspatio/Backyard (2009) from
director Carlos Carrera staring Ana de la Reguera. Bordertown is an American
production, while El traspatio is a Mexican production. Both films portraywomen going
to Ciudad Juárez, either to help solve the problems of the femicide, or to work in
maquilas where they become victims of violence. They both implicate the

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implementation of NAFTA as having a profound impact on the Mexican agricultural
sector, causing job losses, massive rural migration, particularly of women, to the border
mainly to Ciudad Juárez. They also associate thework in the maquiladoras, which is
implicitly related to NAFTA, as causing social changes including traditional gender role
inversion, and gender antagonism because of the maquilas’ preference of hiring female
workers. This analysis thus focuses on how NAFTA is represented as generating political,
economic and cultural conditions in which the maquila workers are prone to attacks and
violencethat ultimately led to femicide.

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This thesis is dedicated to the victims of Ciudad Juárez, and to the women that continue
to struggle everyday against violence. Also, to the film directors Lourdes Portillo, Steev
Hise, Gregory Nava, and Carlos Carrera for their courage in educating the public about
the femicide crimes. Finally my thanks and encouragement to all the activists andorganizations that continue to help and support the victims’ families and all these women
in need.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the individuals that took part in
making this thesis possible. First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge my advisor,
Dr. Amy Robinson, for her assistance and guidance throughout this entire process. From
day one shewas very supportive and dedicated to this project, and her input enabled me
to reach new heights of interpretation that I never would have thought possible. I would
also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Francisco Cabanillas, Dr. Amílcar Challú,
and Dr. Federico Chalupa, for their collaboration in providing me with materials and
themes that helped me in the analysis of this thesis. Also...