NBC News: 'Touching and Triggering': 'Knives Out' sparks immigration questions
With its harsh immigration storyline, 'Knives Out' draws examination by film critic and academics
When a caregiver inherits a family fortune, emotions run high in the new murder mystery “Knives Out”. At the crux of the caregiver’s angst is her exposure as a so called “anchor baby”, born in America to an undocumented Latina mother and the suspicion it casts on her family's legal status. The movie has received raved reviews and nominations for Golden Globes awards and an Oscar, but has also inspired heated questions about how to tell immigration narratives ethically and effectively.
The NBC News article, “'Touching and Triggering': 'Knives Out' sparks question of how to tell immigration stories,” points out that immigrant characters on television remain underrepresented and stereotypical, according to a study conducted by the University of Southern California’s Norman Lear Center and Define American.
Film critics and academics such as the University of Cincinnati’s Mauricio Espinoza, an assistant professor assistant professor of Spanish and Latin American Literature/Cultural Studies, Romance Languages and Literatures, weigh in on the immigration aspect of the movie and the public criticism that ensued about stereotyping immigrants in film.
Tags
Related Stories
Before the medals: The science behind training for freezing mountain air
February 19, 2026
From freezing temperatures to thin mountain air, University of Cincinnati exercise physiologist Christopher Kotarsky, PhD, explained how cold and altitude impact Olympic performance in a recent WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 news report.
Blood Cancer Healing Center realizes vision of comprehensive care
February 19, 2026
With the opening of research laboratories and the UC Osher Wellness Suite and Learning Kitchen, the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center’s Blood Cancer Healing Center has brought its full mission to life as a comprehensive blood cancer hub.
UC Digital Futures and Cincinnati Fire Museum launch educational video game
February 17, 2026
A new collaboration between the University of Cincinnati's Digital Performance Lab (DP Lab), CCM Acting, UC's School of Information Technology, and the Cincinnati Fire Museum is using gaming technology to bring essential fire safety education to children. The project titled Fire Escape is an interactive video game designed to teach K-12 students how to respond safely during a house fire. It was developed through Digital Futures research support, student game development, and guidance from local fire safety professionals.