A Picture Paints A Thousand Words

A mother and her two twins at the Border running away from tear gas in Tijuhana.

1. Kim Kyung Hoon took this pic, he is a Veteran Reuters photographer. TIME Magazine held an interview with him where they wrote an article over the whole situation. Kim is extremely credible since this is his profession, and he had been camping out alongside the immigrants. In order to share their living conditions and why they were doing what they were doing.
2. The intended message is to show the cruelty and inhumane conditions that immigrants are facing by the United States. Kim wishes to show how immigrants are people too and most are just in search of a better life. In the interview, Kim states “I just want to show what is happening here to another part of the world.”
3. The actual image is not persuasive because it is just showing the sad reality that immigrants are facing at the border by being tear gased. Time Magazine actually explains, “He adds that he does not want to tell people how to feel about the photograph, but hopes that it will bring the situation at the border greater attention.” Kim is not trying to tell people what to think or persuade them but rather just bring attention to the situation. Ethos is used since Kim had been following them in the caravan for weeks, and share the voice of those who do not have one. Pathos is also used because chaos is easily seen in the image as well as two yound children unsure of where to run. With their mother that has fear in her eyes, and is desperately trying to save her children.
4. The intended audience is America because of the President Donald Trump and his forceful actions to build the wall. The U.S. border agents were the ones to throw the tear gas, and it sends a message that America as a whole contributed to this. Therefore, it cannot go unnoticed and action should be taken to end this cruelty. It is also for those who support Trump and his actions, so that they can realize how many people and innocent families are being hurt.
5. Time Magazine delievered the story when they interviewed Kim. Kim published the photo not realizing that it would go viral. In Tijuhana, Mexico on November 25, 2018 U.S. border patrols threw tear gas at immigrants trying to cross the border. Many of them were women and children who had to run for their lives. There were two men trying to dig their way under the fence with their barehands when the incident happened. The children in the pictures are 5 year old twins and their mom is Maria Meza. After everything went down Kim interviewed them and asked about her background. She says she was looking for a better life away from the violence in Honduras. She was also traveling with three other children. Meza said she was shocked that they would try to hurt women and children like that.

Semiotic Elements

1. Symbolic: The main subjects in the photo is the woman pulling up her two children. Both children are seen in diapers and bare fragile feet while on the rough dirt ground. It is captured during daytime and there is a slight almost gone river behind them. On the left side is the tear gas canister with smoke. Further behind that is a group of people some standing around not sure what to do and others running. Another photographer can also be faintly seen in the background capturing the chaos. The barbed wire fence is seen as well as the border wall not too far from them. Behind the border the America flag is shown showing the opposite of what America should be. Everyone seems frantic and the main woman has fear in her as well as a frustrated face. Her shirt is ripped and features Elsa showing the poverty that they live in. Neither of her children face the camera and are almost falling.
2. Written: The caption featured is “A migrant family, part of a caravan of thousands traveling from Central America to the United States, run away from tear gas in front of the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico in Tijuana, Mexico, on Nov. 25, 2018. ” It is straight to the point and brings attention to the situation. Time Magazine share the background and context of the picture that went viral. The article is written by Tara Law where she explains the entire situation while remaining unbiased.