Again, this is another song by Los Tigres del Norte. This song is about a man thinking about the negative effects of coming to the United States and how much he misses his homeland, Mexico. This is something that not only Mexicans, but every Latin-American can relate to, even I have seen my father miss his country and the limits that he has in the United States that he does not have back home in El Salvador.
Today’s song is…
La Jaula de Oro by Los Tigres del Norte
They have actually performed this song and many others live at Folsom Prison, so I thought that it would be interesting if I added that here too, so enjoy!
English Subtitles:
I do not want to repeat what I have said before about them, so I will just share some fun facts about the group! Although the band was founded in Rosa Morada in Mexico, it is actually from San Jose, California. They are very popular among Latinos in the United States, they even have their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!
Let’s look at the lyrics:
Here I am established
In the U.S
Ten years have passed
in which I crossed wet
Papers I have not fixed
I’m still an illegal
The narrator starts off by telling the listener that he is in the United States illegally, even after ten years.
I have my wife and my children
That I brought them very young
And they have already forgotten
Of my dear Mexico
which I never forget
and I can’t go back
He now tells us that he brought his family over to the United States, but he still misses his native land, Mexico. No matter how much he wants to return, he knows that he cannot and will continue saying that the United States is not his country.
What use is money to me?
If I’m a prisoner
Inside this great nation
Many countries in Latin America see the US as this great country where everybody that lives there is filled with riches, this however, is not the full truth. Still, one can earn way more money in the US than they ever could back in their homeland.
When I remember I even cry
Even if the cage is made of gold
It is no longer a prison
Even though he made it into this great country that is America, it does not eliminate the fact that it feels like a prison, due to the fact that he cannot leave, nor give himself away or raise any suspicion to himself because the immigration customs enforcement (ICE) would come after him and his family and rip them away from the opportunities that this country presents.
My kids don’t talk to me
They have learned another language, and forgotten Spanish
They think like Americans, they deny that they are Mexicans
even if they have my color
Many first/second generation Americans that end up in the US often find embarrassment in embracing their culture and speaking their native tongue. The father may see this as them switching their loyalty from Mexico to America. Of course he would be worried because due to the discrimination that they face, he fears that his kids will begin to deny their Mexican heritage as a result of internalized racism.
From my work to my house
I do not know what’s happening to me
that although I am a man of home
I hardly go out
Well, I’m afraid they’ll find me
and they can deport me
I am sure that this is not only a Latin American thing, but a custom in those countries is that they boys and men would just stand outside and talking for hours. The narrator is talking about how strange it is for him to stay inside coming right home from work or always have to watch your back, for fear of being caught.
Citations
Family Immigration – United States Department of State. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/family-immigration.html.
“How the U.S. Taught Me That Spanish Was Shameful.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 26 Mar. 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/how-u-s-taught-me-spanish-was-shameful-ncna986746.
Nolan, Rachel, et al. “Cage of Gold, by Rachel Nolan.” Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2020, https://harpers.org/archive/2020/09/cage-of-gold-deportation-history-bracero-program/.
Nunez, Peter K. “Commentary: How U.S. Is Encouraging Illegal Immigration.” Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2019, https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/story/2019-06-26/us-encouraging-illegal-immigration.
Radio Turquesa. “Los Tigres Del Norte Tienen Estrella En El Paseo De La Fama.” Radio Turquesa, 27 Dec. 2014, https://radioturquesa.fm/los-tigres-del-norte-tienen-estrella-en-el-paseo-de-la-fama/.
Swan, Betsy. “Republicans Say Forced Labor Is Good for Detained Immigrants in Letter Defending Private Prison.” The Daily Beast, The Daily Beast Company, 19 Mar. 2018, https://www.thedailybeast.com/republicans-say-forced-labor-is-good-for-detained-immigrants-in-letter-defending-private-prison.
Vogue, Ariane de. “Supreme Court Hears Texas’ Challenge to Biden Immigration and Deportation Policies | CNN Politics.” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 Nov. 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/29/politics/texas-supreme-court-immigration/index.html.