Film Studies

This research paper analyzes the movies of ‘Amreeka’ (2009), ‘District 9’ (2009) and ‘Making an American Citizen’ (1912) to discuss how the chosen films deal with the aspect of citizenship. The themes explored include cultural assimilation, economic struggles, and non-recognition of qualifications.

Running head: FILM STUDIES
Film Studies
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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1: Introduction
A: General information about the topic
The aim of globalization is to deconstruct the geographical barriers that exist in the world
and at the same time to integrate all the countries in to one common platform of economic
liberalization. The broadening and the easening of the horizon of the global economic forces
have undermined the aspect of governmental sovereignty by ushering in of the principle of supra
nationalism. Resultantly the geographical and political borders have become porous for the
purpose of facilitating the free flow of goods and services, and even people to supplement the
process of economic enterprises to be carried out efficiently. In the process the status quo of a
status quo of the governments in being the sole one to decide upon the affairs of the nation has
been eroded. Naturally, a clash between the respective governments of the countries and the
globalist forces shall take place. Not just that, movement of people from one cultural context to
another shall cause the issue of discrimination, assimilation and the claim to citizenship to be
scrutinized. These issues are so intertwined to each other that it is impossible to explain
citizenship without taking into account these allied issues. It is due to such a mind frame that the
issue of citizenship has become important (Tascón 2016). This research paper analyzes the
movies of ‘Amreeka’ (2009), ‘District 9’ (2009) and ‘Making an American Citizen’ (1912). All
these movies explore the singular theme of citizenship, with a different approach and touching
upon different aspects. In this research paper the discussion shall be devoted to the discussion of
how the chosen films deal with the aspect of citizenship.

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B: Reason for the reader to be interested in the chosen context
The reasons contributing the readers to be interested in the chosen context is precisely
because the issue of citizenship as projected in the three chosen films are historically and
culturally significant. They are quite relevant to the contemporary period and allows the readers
to consider the issue of citizenship with a critical and rational undertone drawing attention to
reconsider the relevance of citizenship as it is understood in the generic political sense in the
contemporary period. The three chosen films tend to project a different viewpoint, a different
angle of explaining and comprehending citizenship. The films that have been chosen belong to
different time periods, as in ‘Making an American Citizen’ is from the year 1912, while the other
two films ‘Amreeka’ and ‘District 9’ are from the year 2009. The reason behind choosing the
films from different time periods is to demonstrate the paradigmatic shifts in the conception of
citizenship and the way it has been found expression in popular media needs consideration. This
unique insight into the issue of citizenship is why it is being anticipated that the research paper
shall be of interest to the readers (Kumar 2019).
C: Thesis Statement of the Research Paper
The issue of citizenship is a broad issue and has undergone paradigmatic shifts in over
the years. That has been as a result of responding to the needs of the time. In this particular
research paper the thesis statement shall be to relate the issue of citizenship as projected in the
three chosen films to the relevance it has in the real life in the contemporary period specifically.
Also a section shall be dedicated to show the paradigmatic shifts that have taken place in the
comprehension of the concept of citizenship over the period of time through the chosen films.
The analysis shall make it clear whether there has been any change in the conceptualization of
the concept of citizenship or not.

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2: Methodology
A: How the Research Question shall be answered
The research paper will follow a secondary research trail. Scholarly pieces of literature
shall be consulted regarding the movies. It will be a qualitative research where the critical
reviews will also be taken in to consideration and analyzed. The research question shall be
answered by means of relating scholarly articles to substantiate the treatment of the concept of
citizenship in the films. The approach thus is deductive and the aim is to prove the relevance of
the themes related to citizenship in the film in contemporary times. Though the research paper is
following the secondary methods, the usage of sources shall be both primary as well as
secondary. The primary sources shall be the three chosen films whose synoptic view shall be
provided, and then the secondary sources shall be connected to the aspect of citizenship
projected in the film. The usage of the secondary sources shall also be channelized to ensure that
the comparison between the chosen films can be made an attempt (Smith 2015).
B: Justification of the Methodology
The research paper will analyze the social issue of citizenship. For this purpose the
resources engaged in the making of these movies will be described. Along with this the historical
and cultural context of the movies will be looked in to at detail. Lastly, the concept of citizenship
as shown in the movies will be described and analyzed and their likely impact on the audience
will be looked in to. Given the nature of the issue chosen which concern itself with the
aggregation of the viewpoints and their analysis, this particular research does not need any
survey as such, and qualitative method is thus the best suited method, as the aim is to provide an

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appropriation of the existing literature, not to embark upon an attempt to falsify the arguments
made already.
3: Synoptic View of the three chosen films highlighting the treatment of the issue
of citizenship
A: ‘Making an American Citizen’ 1912
The oldest film chosen for the purpose of analysis is ‘Making an American Citizen’ from
the year 1912. The plot revolves around the travails of a French couple who had immigrated to
the United States of America. There the struggle to adjust to a new culture begins and the
necessity to change the ways in which one had been conducting oneself in the native country.
The film very beautifully portrays that the people residing in the continent of Europe was more
backward than the United States of America, and also that the ways and means of the immigrants
from France in conducting themselves were not at all relevant in their host country. In order to
feel like they are a legitimately a part of America they must change their practices and adapt the
American lifestyle. The introduction to the discrepancy between the American and the French
ways had been showcased by the embarrassment that the male protagonist of the film had faced
when he was making his wife carry the load while he himself walked the streets with a lordly
gait beating his stick on the ground. He was introduced to the American sense of chivalry when a
man offered to carry the load of his wife and also intimated the immigrant man that he could be
imprisoned for being physically violent to his wife and then shall be understand the true essence
of being an American citizen. The element of cultural assimilation and the aspect of cultural
appropriation has been projected in light of presenting the issue of citizenship in the film
("Making An American Citizen (1912)", 1912).

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B: ‘Amreeka’ 2009
This particular film deals with the aspect of the struggles faced by a Palestinian Christian
single mother named Muna and her son Fadi in the United States of America. Her appeal for visa
to the United States of America gets approved after a long drawn ordeal. However that was not
an end of her struggles and the initiation into a new life altogether. In the United States of
America Muna had to start afresh and with no one to fall back upon she had taken shelter at the
house of her sister who lived in Illinois. Finally when she finds a job for herself which does not
do justiuce to her qualification and experience, the aspect of assimilation and stigma bothers
them. By virtue of their Middle Eastern background and the fact that Muna and her son Fadi bear
Arabic names, they were subjected to constant stigma and the attack of Iraq by the United States
of America worsened the situations more. The factor of integration and assimilation became
more and more difficult. The themes explored in light of citizenship in this particular film has
been the economic and social struggles of life in a new country, the difficulty Middle Easterners
face in the United States of America, the non recognition of educational qualifications gained in
a third world country in the western world, and the futility of the assimilation efforts on part of
the immigrants are derivable ("Amreeka Trailer", 2009).
C: ‘District 9’ 2009
This particular film is a science fiction and the plot revolves around the arrival of a pack
of Aliens from an extra terrestrial world. As a result of their difference in appearance and
mannerisms, the Aliens or the foreigners are casted to the quarters of marginalization. They are
also accused of spreading nuisance and causing the locals trouble in many different ways. The
message that this particular film conveys is satirical in nature which is quite relateable to the kind
of treatment the refugees and immigrants are subjected to in foreign land. The message and the

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essence of the film that can be derived from this particular film is that of the ill treatment and
marginalization the immigrants are subjected to in a foreign land ("District 9' '2009’, 2009).
4: Literature Review
In this particular section the themes explored in light of the concept of citizenship in the
chosen films shall be substantiated to showcase their relevance in the contemporary period. The
identified themes shall be substantiated with scholarly opinions as evidences in the following
subsections. The very fact that the themes explored in the films are but a living reality and not
merely a work of fiction shall be proven. Citizenship is not merely a political hallmark of
belongingness but equally, and even more importantly it requires the societal seal of approval
and to render citizenship a sense of completeness has very blatantly been projected in the films.
A: Cultural Assimilation and Cultural Appropriation
As it has already been mentioned above the political seal of approval confirming an
individual’s legal right to stay in a country is not enough for an individual to lay a claim to
citizenship. Human beings are by virtue of being social creatures tends to fall back upon the
community and the building of community is not something which is possible until and unless
there is a scope for the building of commonalities. As Katz puts it that some nations follow the
salad bowl model of assimilation whereas some others follow the soup bowl model. In the
former the originality of the cultural traits are allowed to be maintained while in some other
nations they follow the system which prescribes the necessity of a strict rule of casting the third
world cultural conduct to obliviousness and adopting the western or the more civilized way of
living. This can be quite a traumatic and emotionally exhaustive matter for immigrants seeking
refuge in a foreign land. Katz uses the example of the struggles people from the third world face
in the western world where they are forever reminded that they belong to a culture that is low

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and must develop the living standards that are apt for western societies for better social
integration. Though this is a very inhumane system, yet it continues to be perpetrated even today.
The film ‘Making of an American Citizen’ which was released in the year 1912 dealt with a
similar theme of adopting the culture of the host country to be able to lay a claim to citizenship
from a societal perspective. This kind os forceful integrationist procedures are relevant even in
today’s world. Katz uses the example of the most recent example of the hijab controversy in
France which made it mandatory for all muslim women to give up in their hijab in order to call
themselves a citizen of France and be a part of the society justifiably. It is however not being
meant that all forceful methods of integration are wrong, as with reference to the hijab issue in
France it turned out to be beneficial for the ones who were reluctant to wear the hijab but were
forced to wear it (Katz 2018). This proves that the contemporary issues also bear a semblance to
the ideas propounded in the film.
B: Economic struggles of life in a new country
This particular argument substantiates the cause of the refugees who seek citizenship or
refuge in other nations for a better life compared to what situations prevail in their native land.
Relocating and immigrating from one nation to the other is always a traumatizing journey and it
is not possible for persons to carry all their assets. Hence they have to rely on their skills that
they have gained in their countries to make a living over there, as expressed by Hatton, and as
one can see in the film ‘Amreeka’ 2009. In this regard the recent issue of the refugees flocking to
Europe to escape the war in Syria and Iraq must also be taken into consideration and their
helplessness. They have nothing to carry along with them, and whatever assets they must have
had back in their country, it was devastated by the way back in their nation. Sometimes,
instances are also noted whereby individuals escape their native country to seek refuge in

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western countries to escape persecution and other personal problems, or some even go to the
western world for pursuing skills. In that case it cannot be expected of them to carry sufficient
amount of wealth with them in the western countries where the cost of living is quite high
(Hatton 2015).
C: Non Recognition of educational qualifications gained in a third world country in the
western world
In connection to the point made in the previous section, with regard to the economic
struggles of people in the process of settling in a foreign land, this issue of non recognition of
skills gathered in a third world country is not considered as valid in the western world. Muna as
shown in the film ‘Amreeka’ 2009 had to settle for a job in the United States of America which
was not at all befitting her experience and her qualifications which she had gained back in her
home country, Palestine. This is still a glaring issues and one of the challenges of claiming
citizenship in the western world, and this also shows as Kogan puts it that globalization might
have created an equal market, but it has failed to ensure that its equalizing effect is equally felt in
the sphere of education and skill acquisition. This inequality is something which makes the third
world citizens to lag behind the citizens of the first world, by virtue of the fact that they are
deprived of the facilities that the citizens of the first world are exposed to. Hence, it becomes
quite problematic for the citizens of the third world to compete with the candidates of the first
world. The aspect of discrimination however cannot be ruled out totally as the third world
country citizens are considered as people who want to take away the jobs and displace the people
of the first world in their own country (Kogan 2016).

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D: Futility of the assimilation efforts on part of the immigrants
As one could see in the film Amreeka 2009 that despite all the efforts of Muna and Fadi
to merge with the society, they were treated as outcasts. This is quite a pressing issue in the
western world, which Karakayali and Kleist had tried to explain by citing the example of
islamophobia in the west and world wide which poses as challenges to citizenship. From getting
visas, to getting labelled as terrorist, the people from the Middle East are constantly under the
threat of discrimination and assaults. Some Middle Easterners have lived in the west for
generations, yet they are not considered as a part of the western society (Karakayali and Kleist
2016).
E: Alienation and Ghettoization of Immigrants
The fate of the aliens which was shown in the film District 9 2009 is something which is
faced by the refugees escaping the Syrian War in the contemporary context as shown by
Hainmueller, Hangartner, and Lawrence. The refugees are kept in camps separate from the
others. This particular segregation and alienation is called as ghettoization and has been practiced
as Apartheid in South Africa in the 20th century and is still practiced in the 21st century as well
(Hainmueller, Hangartner, and Lawrence 2016).
5: Tentative Argument
The tentative argument that can be arrived at is that the chosen film belong to a varied
time period and on analysis it has been derived that the points expressed in the film are very
much pertaining to the modern contemporary context as well in a more magnified way rather.
The intensity of the ordeals showcased in ‘Making an American Citizen’ back in the year 1912
had tended to assume more sophisticated, subtle and more dangerous forms in the contemporary

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times. This close resemblance to the reality of life is something which makes the films quite
realistic and the mirror showcasing the truth. Thus by virtue of the reality it projects through
fictional representations, make their works a true proponent of practicality (Stoddard, Marcus,
and Hicks 2017)
6: Conclusion
In the concluding section it can be said that the thesis statements tend to stand proven as
the truth as they are but a representation of the realities and also that they are very much relevant
in the contemporary period to judge the political scenario and the situation of adversity that is
faced in laying a claim to citizenship. What used to happens years ago, happens now as well, just
that the intensity and the method of perpetrating it has been transformed, and there are no signs
of it changing over the years.

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References:
"Amreeka Trailer." YouTube. N.p., 2019. Web. 26 Feb. 2019.
"District 9' '2009'. YouTube. N.p., 2019. Web. 26 Feb. 2019.
"Making An American Citizen (1912)." YouTube. N.p., 2019. Web. 26 Feb. 2019.
Hainmueller, Jens, Dominik Hangartner, and Duncan Lawrence. "When lives are put on hold:
Lengthy asylum processes decrease employment among refugees." Science advances 2, no. 8
(2016): e1600432.
Hatton, Timothy J. "Asylum Policy in the EU: the case for deeper integration." CESifo Economic
Studies 61, no. 3-4 (2015): 605-637.
Karakayali, Serhat, and J. Olaf Kleist. "Volunteers and asylum seekers." Forced Migration
Review 51 (2016): 65.
Katz, Ethan B. "Where Do the Hijab and the Kippah Belong? On Being Publicly Jewish or
Muslim in Post-Hebdo France." Jewish History 32, no. 1 (2018): 99-114.
Kogan, Irena. "Integration policies and immigrants’ labor market outcomes in Europe."
Sociological science 3 (2016): 335-358.
Kumar, Ranjit. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage Publications
Limited, 2019.
Smith, Jonathan A., ed. Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage,
2015.

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Stoddard, Jeremy, Alan S. Marcus, and David Hicks. Teaching Difficult History Through Film.
Taylor & Francis, 2017.
Tascón, Sonia. "Human Rights, Film, and Social Change: Screening Rights Film Festival,
Birmingham Centre for Film Studies." NECSUS. European Journal of Media Studies 5, no. 1
(2016): 255-263.

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