Based on 700 interviews,The Other Side of Immigration asks why so many Mexicans have immigrated to the United States in recent decades and what’s happened to the families and communities they’ve left behind. Shot entirely in rural Mexico, the film provides a rare look at the root causes of Mexican immigration through the eyes of people who make the difficult decision to stay or go. This nonpartisan film relies on the director’s Ph.D. research to show that illegal migration is the symptom of larger social, political, and economic forces, and that mass emigration is both beneficial and damaging to those who remain behind. The Other Side of Immigration is organized around major themes in migration and development research, blending structural perspectives and personal accounts to leave audiences with a unique and wide-ranging outlook on the issue. There is no narrator telling you what to believe in The Other Side of Immigration, nor are there “bad guys,” “good guys,” or victims. The film’s subtle yet thought-provoking approach challenges audiences of all political and ideological leanings to think about how we can more effectively manage immigration in the 21st century.

Roy Germano holds an M.A. in international relations and a Ph.D. in political science. He has conducted extensive research in the Mexican countryside with support from the National Science Foundation and the University of Texas at Austin. The Other Side of Immigration emerged from his Ph.D. fieldwork, which included a survey of 700 households in Michoacán, Mexico. Roy’s other documentaries include A Mexican Sound, The High Cost of Deporting Parents, They Steal Our Jobs?, and Murder and Migration in Honduras. He has given keynote speeches and Q&A sessions at dozens of conferences and institutions, including Princeton, Columbia, the Minnesota Department of Education, the Texas Department of State Health Services, and the American Museum of Natural History. Send an email to booking@roygermano.com to invite Roy to speak at your event.