Machete's Michelle Rodriguez Talks Immigration

by Erika Ramirez

There aren’t many who play the femme fatale as flawlessly as Michelle Rodriguez. Thing is, this Texan native plans to take the pen into her hands to perfect the role. While filming Machete (in theatres now!), Fellow Latino director, Robert Rodriguez, inspired Rodriguez to renovate roles and synchronously explore and exploit the audience’s perspectives. All while firing handguns in a brassiere. Ay Dios! Michelle Rodriguez spoke briefly with MTV Tr3s about immigration and racial profiling beyond Arizona.

From a Latina’s perspective, what's your take on immigration?

The idea that somebody seems like they're committing a crime if they look Spanish, and you have the right to arrest them and pull out their papers, is kind of Nazi-like. Already across the country there's massive profiling going on on its own, underground and blatantly, in many neighborhoods. I know that [in] Jersey City it was a big thing, you know growing up, for Latinos and blacks, but across the country that's already happening. So you're going to add to the problem.

I just really feel like it's not going to do anything. Because people, they're not stupid, if they are criminals, the criminals that are committing crimes and come to this country to sell drugs, they're not dumb. They know what's going on. As soon as they heard that they bounced and they went to some other state. You're not solving any problems guys. I just really feel like some people will come out and they'll say, "Well, then, what are you suggesting, Michelle? Something stupid like NAFTA?" No.

But I do believe that our neighboring countries should help. I think that Canada has massive openings for blue collar labor. I remember when I was living there doing Battle Seattle, I used to see in the news, all the time, where they were talking about the fact that the Canadian blue collar labor force is really low, at its all time low, and that they're thinking about opening up the doors to immigrants from Mexico to fill up the gaps in these jobs that are open all over the countryside, the farmland. A lot of the Canadians, they're not taking up these types of jobs. They're over in other parts of the country doing white collar work. So when there are openings like this, even South America should take a little bit of this responsibility as well. I know it's got tons of problems of its own, but at the end of the day it's not just America's problem. These are humans that are obviously, a lot of them, running away from a lifestyle that is dangerous and they're looking for better. It's a pursuit of happiness, that's something we all have in common. Every country around the world has that in common. I just feel like we shouldn't stop. Remember that this is a democracy and people shouldn't get all bent out of shape thinking this is the end all be all. At the end of the day America has seen worse. Eventually we'll get to the humanitarian position on things. And hopefully they'll be something resolved with the situation.

What do you think of Michelle Rodriguez's stand on Immigration?  Do you agree or disagree?  Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Make sure to also check out what Robert Rodriguez, Jessica Alba and Danny Trejo had to say about SB-1070!