Immigrants as aliens in the Ghostbusters films

2015/03/01 by Zoila Clark · 2 citations
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · Psychology · #Cinema and Media Studies #Italian Fascism and Post-war Society #Media Studies and Communication #Immigration #Harmony (color) #Aggression #Political science #Sociology #Political economy #Criminology #Law #Media studies #Gender studies #Social psychology #Psychology #Art #Visual arts

paper · doi:10.1386/ajpc.4.1.29_1

openalex publication_date 2015/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21

Abstract

Abstract In this study, I will argue that Ghostbusters I (Reitman, 1984) and Ghostbusters II (Reitman, 1989) expose the ghosting patriarchal policies of the United States immigration system. These two films exemplify the way in which US attitudes towards minorities and people from other cultures shift from a position of fear and aggression to one of harmony and understanding. This is a complex process that has been gradually evolving since the blossoming of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

Cited by

• Ghostbusters [wikipedia]
• Ghostbusters II [wikipedia]

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