Study questions for the video El Norte:

1) Why did Enrique and Rosa leave their guatemalan village and migrate to El Norte? What are the push factors, and what are the pull factors involved in their decision to move?

2) What kind of migration does this illustrate? How is this migration pattern related to the structure of the modern world system?

3) What impressions/stereotypes of the United States did the Guatemalan villagers have? What was their source of information about El Norte?

4) What problems do illegal aliens encounter getting to the US?

If you saw the rest of the film:

5) What are the cultural differences you can see between Guatemala and the United States? Relate these differences to the 'fast' and 'slow' worlds.

6) Why was it so hard for Enrique to leave his sister for a better job in Chicago?