‘Birdman’ Director Puts Mexico Front and Center at Oscars · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

Mexican film director Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2015 Oscar winner for Best Director his film, Birdman. Photo taken from Tarlen Handayani's account on Flickr under the Creative Commons license.
Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu made history on February 22 when he won the 2015 Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director for Birdman, a satire about the entertainment industry. The film was also honored for Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography.
Apart from Iñárritu's success at the mecca of movies, the issue most talked about on social networks has been the end of his acceptance speech, where the Birdman director mentioned the Mexican government and the situation of Mexican immigrants in the United States.
I want to dedicate this award for my fellow Mexicans, the ones who live in Mexico. I pray that we can find and build the government that we deserve. And the ones that live in this country who are part of the latest generation of immigrants in this country, I just pray that they can be treated with the same dignity and the respect of the ones who came before and [built] this incredible immigrant nation.
Iñárritu's clear allusion to Mexico having not found a government worthy of its citizens resonated deeply throughout the country. #ElGobiernoQueMerecemos (#TheGovernmentWeDeserve) quickly became a trending topic on Twitter.
Bien utilizado el foro de los #oscares por #Inarritu su llamado #ElGobiernoQueMerecemos debe de abrirnos los ojos.
— Pastelazo (@PastelazoMx) February 23, 2015
Good use of the #Oscar stage by #Inarritu. His call for #TheGovernmentWeDeserve ought to open our eyes.
Mexican writer and political analyst Denisse Dresser joined in on the praise:
Bravo a González Ińárritu por rogar que tengamos el gobierno que merecemos, y recordar que no hay que perder la esperanza de lograrlo.
— Denise Dresser (@DeniseDresserG) February 23, 2015
Bravo, González Iñárritu, for requesting that we have the government we deserve and remembering that we don't have to lose hope to achieve it.
Despite Iñárritu's jab at Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto's government, he and his political party, the PRI, tweeted messages of congratulations from their official accounts:
Alejandro González Iñárritu, qué merecido reconocimiento a tu trabajo, entrega y talento. ¡Felicidades! México lo celebra junto contigo. — Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) February 23, 2015
Alejandro González Iñárritu, what a well-deserved recognition of your work, dedication, and talent. Congratulations! Mexico celebrates this together with you.
Coincidiendo en el orgullo mexicano, es un hecho que más que merecerlo estamos construyendo un mejor gobierno. Felicidades #GonzálezIñárritu — PRI (@PRI_Nacional) February 23, 2015
We are joining in on the wave of Mexican pride and, as a matter of fact, we not only deserve a better government, we are already building one. Congratulations, #GonzalezInarritu
To which many responded to with mockery and anger:
Es tan #imbecil#Epn que no se dio por aludido por #iñarritu solo falta que tuitee que el tambien reza para que logremos un buen gobierno!
— horacio villaseñor (@yamecnse) February 23, 2015
#EnriquePenaNieto is such an idiot that he didn't even realize #Iñarritu hinted at him. Next thing you know he's going to tweet that he is also praying that we achieve a good government!
@PRI_Nacional si el mensaje fue para ustedes!! Que cinismo!
— Fabricio Montano (@FabrizioMontano) February 23, 2015
@PRI_Nacional the message was for you!! What cynicism!
Others focused on the hopeful message of a Mexican succeeding in one of the most competitive industries:
Un mexicano de logros envía mensaje a millones de mexicanos que creen que no puede cambiar este país…Sí se puede! #ElGobiernoQueMerecemos
— Personal Jesus (@jesamepot) February 23, 2015
A successful Mexican sends a message to millions of Mexicans who think that they cannot change this country… Yes you can! #TheGovernmentWeDeserve
There were also self-critics:
#ElGobiernoQueMerecemos tenemos q forjarlo, hay muchos mexicanos q están enajenados con la pantalla chica. México no ha despertado del todo
— Triquitran (@Triquitran1) February 23, 2015
We must shape #TheGovernmentWeDeserve, there are many Mexicans that are blinded by the small screen. Mexico has not woken up from everything.
#ElGobiernoQueMerecemos no es el que pide un director de cine exitoso, es el que como ciudadanos deberíamos estar exigiendo.
— Rubén Rdz (@ElRubs_) February 23, 2015
#TheGovernmentWeDeserve is not one that a successful film director asks for, it is one that we as citizens should be demanding.
Jorge Ramos, a Mexican journalist based in the US, wondered why Mexicans’ talent for cinema doesn't seem to transfer to governance:
Si tenemos dos directores de cine de Oscar (Cuarón e Iñárritu) ¿Por qué no hemos podido conseguir un buen director de país?
— JORGE RAMOS (@jorgeramosnews) February 23, 2015
If we have two Oscar-winning film directors (Cuarón and Iñárritu), why haven't we been able to get a good director for the country?
People also commented on the issue of immigrants in the United States:
Que gusto escuchar a González Iñárritu hablando en defensa de los migrantes en un espacio tan importante y visible.
— Gabriela Cuevas. (@GabyCuevas) February 23, 2015
What a pleasure it was to hear González Iñárritu speaking in defense of immigrants in such an important and visible space.
Lloré con su dedicatoria: que tengamos el gobierno que nos merecemos; que se respeten a nuestros migrantes en EUA. #Iñarritu #Oscars2015
— Gabri Morales Casas (@gmoralescasas) February 23, 2015
I cried over his dedication: may we have the government we deserve; may our immigrants in the US be respected.
Urge que más mexicanos con acceso a las altas esferas de influencia en EUA usen su voz para abogar por una reforma migratoria #Iñárritu
— Compa Kri (@kridelgado) February 23, 2015
He urges more Mexicans with access to spheres of high influence in the US to use their voices to advocate for immigration reform.