Super Bowl immigration ads miss the mark – CNN

Aside from injecting a contentious element into one of the few events that brings Americans together, the problem with both commercials is that they misrepresent the stories they are supposed to be telling. They play to myths surrounding immigration, which is not helpful to understanding the issue.

One scene in the commercial shows Busch's "Immigration Identification Card" being stamped as he enters the country. The implication seems to be that Busch entered the country legally, or "the right way," as some would say.

In fact, in Busch's time there weren't many distinctions between legal and illegal immigration. Our first general immigration law was not enacted until 1882, after Busch arrived in the US.

To learn how the mother/daughter trip ends, Super Bowl viewers had to go to an 84 Lumber website after halftime. In the full version of the video, the mother and daughter come across a border wall, which magically opens for them. The ending can either be seen as encouraging illegal immigration or presenting a fantasy of what undocumented migrants face. On Twitter, 84 Lumber called it a "symbolic journey towards becoming legal American citizens." Never mind that it is extremely difficult for undocumented people to change their status.

The ads that aired during the Super Bowl from Budweiser and 84 Lumber are not likely to change anyone's mind on immigration. It would have been far better for both of these companies to focus their commercials on their products, and leave politics out of our lives for one night.

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Super Bowl immigration ads miss the mark - CNN

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