Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Homeland Security docu deals with danger, drugs, more.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
BORDER WARS documents the work of the Homeland Security agency as it attempts to maintain control over the U.S. side of the 21-mile border between Mexico and Nogales, Ariz., which is considered to be the epicenter of illegal border activities. Each episode follows federal agents and officers on the ground and in the air for 24 hours as they try to intercept drug smugglers, weapons dealers, and human traffickers before they make it across the border. Officers are also called upon to rescue undocumented individuals when they get sick and/or lost in the Sonora Desert during their attempts to cross into the United States.
Is It Any Good?
This reality docuseries attempts to be objective by highlighting the hard and often dangerous work associated with protecting U.S. borders. But you can also sense that it's a promotional vehicle for Homeland Security, which has been heavily criticized in the past for racially profiling suspects and for being largely ineffective. Border control officers are quick to justify their searches of specific vehicles and their drivers, while agents who are arresting illegal immigrants (the majority of whom are of Latino heritage) continually remind viewers that many of them have criminal records.
Some viewers may have a hard time with some of the procedures and characterizations pertaining to undocumented persons. But overall Border Wars does a good job of capturing the real dangers that federal agents and officers face when they're doing their job. No matter what you might think about the politics driving government policy, it's hard to dismiss the commitment of the men and women working to ensure the country's safety.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the media is used to promote political agendas. Do you think that's appropriate and/or ethical? Do you think any of that is taking place here, or is it just another "dangerous jobs" reality show?
How does the media handle the issue of immigration? Do you think race/ethnicity/stereotyping factors into this coverage? If so, how?
What's the show's overall message? Do you think it's objective?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 10, 2010
- Cast : Bill Graves
- Network : National Geographic Channel
- Genre : Reality TV
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 27, 2022
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