MERYL STREEP IN MEXICO:
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 AND THE NEED FOR AUTHORITY WITH SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY.
Dr. Ilan Shapiro*
Language is not a luxury in health care
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE ARE NOT EXTRAS IN HEALTH CARE—THEY DIRECTLY AFFECT DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND PATIENT TRUST. BRIDGING THE GAP REQUIRES BUILDING A MORE DIVERSE, BILINGUAL MEDICAL WORKFORCE AND ESTABLISHING IMMEDIATE PATHWAYS FOR INTERNATIONAL PHYSICIANS TO SERVE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
It is a clinical tool. Culture is not an accessory. It shapes how patients describe pain, adhere to treatment, and decide whether to trust the system. When your doctor understands both, everything changes.
In the United States, more than 65 million people identify as Hispanic or Latino, nearly 1 in 5 Americans. Yet only about 6 percent of physicians identify as Hispanic. The math does not add up. It never has. This gap is not abstract. It shows up every day in delayed diagnoses, lower treatment adherence, and missed opportunities for prevention.
I see it in the exam room.
A parent struggles to describe subtle symptoms in a second language — and something critical is lost. A patient nods, but they do not fully understand the plan. They leave without asking the question
ERNESTO BENET SÁNCHEZ NORIEGA EDITOR, HERALDO USA daniel.benet@elheraldodemexico.com
el Instituto Nacional del Derecho de Autor: 04-2009-060419022100-101. Número de Certificado de Licitud de Título y Contenido: 16921. Domicilio de la Publicación: Av. Insurgentes Sur, No. 1271, piso 2, oficina 202, Extremadura Insurgentes, Benito Juárez, C.P. 03740. Impreso en LA CRÓNICA DIARIA, SA DE CV, Avenida Azcapotzalco La Villa 160, Colonia San Marcos, Alcaldía Azcapotzalco, Ciudad de México, CP 02020. Distribuidores: ARREDONDO E HIJOS DISTRIBUIDORA, SA de CV, Iturbide 18 local D, Colonia Centro de la Ciudad de México Área 4, Alcaldía Cuauhtémoc, Ciudad de México, CP 06040. ELIZABETH IVONNE GUTIÉRREZ ORTIZ, Callejón 2o de la Luz 52, Departamento 4, Interior 1, Colonia Anáhuac II Sección, Alcaldía Miguel Hidalgo, Ciudad de México, CP 11320. AEROVÍAS EMPRESA DE
MONDAY / 04 / 20 / 2026
they came to ask. A cultural belief about illness is never surfaced during the visit, so care is built on an incomplete picture. These are not communication failures. They are structural failures with clinical consequences.
When language and culture align, patients are more likely to share complete and accurate histories, understand their medications and treatment plans, follow through with care and follow-up, engage in preventive care before a crisis, and trust their physician enough to return.
Studies consistently show that when patients and physicians share a language or cultural background, communication improves, satisfaction rises, and health outcomes improve. This is evidence, not anecdote.
This is not about preference. It is about quality and safety.
If we are serious about closing this gap, we need to act early and intentionally. We need to build the pipeline at every level.
That means starting in schools — investing in health-care career exposure for Latino communities, supporting bilingual education and STEM pathways, and creating mentorship programs with physicians who reflect the community. It means removing barriers to medicine — expanding scholarships for underrepresented students, strengthening pre-med advising at community colleges, and reducing structural gatekeeping in admissions. And it means transforming training — integrating cultural humility from day one, prioritizing training sites in underserved communities, and recruiting and retaining diverse residents and faculty.
But we also need solutions now.
Nearly 1 in 5 physicians in the United States is an International Medical Graduate. Many already serve in the communities that need them most. Many speak Spanish. Many understand, from lived experience, the cultural context of our patients. We should create clear, rigorous, and safe pathways for qualified international physicians to practice, recognize prior training and experience where appropriate, and align physician supply with the communities facing the greatest shortages.
This is not a compromise in quality. It is a strategic response to a workforce crisis.
While we build the future pipeline, we have an obligation to care for patients today. These are not competing priorities. They are part of one mission.
Every child deserves a doctor who understands their family. Every parent deserves to ask questions without fear of being misunderstood. Every community deserves care that reflects its identity.
To achieve better outcomes, begin with better communication.
If you want trust, start with understanding.
If you want equity, build a workforce that reflects the people it serves.
This is how we move from access to impact.
* The author is an MD, MBA, FAAP, FACHE, Chief Health Correspondent and Medical Affairs Officer at AltaMed.
BY: MARCO FRIERI*
PHOTOART: ALEJANDRO OYERVIDES
P01 TRUMP’S DECLINING APPROVAL AND ONGOING ECONOMIC PRESSURE ARE RESHAPING THE 2028 LANDSCAPE, CREATING A STRATEGIC OPENING FOR DEMOCRATS.
02 DEMOCRATS HAVE ALIGNED ON COST-OF-LIVING CONCERNS, BRIDGING INTERNAL DIVIDES AND STRENGTHENING THEIR MESSAGE ACROSS KEY CAMPAIGNS.
THE MAMDANI AND THE LATINO DEMOCRATS TOWARD
resident Trump’s approval rating continues to decline, hovering between 30 and 40 percent—the lowest in presidential approval history. This trend is closely tied to the economic situation: although the country is not in crisis, prices remain high, jobs are being lost, and the effects of tariffs are still unfolding. There is also growing public backlash against aggressive immigration operations, with many citizens arguing that these actions are targeting issues they were not designed to address.
The Democratic Party reflected on its 2024 loss and adjusted its electoral strategy. In New York, Zohran Mamdani—despite being a progressive and self-described socialist—focused on the cost of living in one of the country’s most expensive cities. Meanwhile, Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, running in Virginia and New Jersey with more moderate profiles, also centered their campaigns on the same issue. The key was to capitalize
The economy is emerging as the defining issue of the 2028 election cycle.
Mamdani reframes migration through a human-centered narrative that resonates widely.
on the president’s high disapproval. In other words, despite ideological diversity within the party, there was a clear convergence on a single core issue.
These victories—two states and one major city—are reinforced by California’s continued status as a Democratic stronghold. Still, these wins were largely enabled by the weakness of an administration that has neglected key issues, creating a window of opportunity for Democrats. The question remains: what happens if Trump avoids further missteps? While that scenario is not evident today, the political landscape could shift before the midterm elections. Trump may still secure key wins, and although Democrats are right to focus on the economy, they lack depth— and, above all, a clear vision for the future. Without that, voters may once again turn against the party.
ZOHRAN MAMDANI AND THE MIGRATION ISSUE
New York commands global media attention, making it a key political stage. Since the election, Zohran Mamdani has strengthened his position on immigration—one of the few
Falling approval for President frustration are reshaping ahead of 2028. Democrats focusing on the cost of living, Zohran Mamdani are reframing However, shifting Latino and a lack of long-term vision
03 ZOHRAN MAMDANI STANDS OUT FOR REFRAMING MIGRATION IN HUMAN TERMS, RESONATING WITH DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND RESHAPING PARTY DISCOURSE.
FACTOR LATINO VOTE TOWARD
President Trump and economic reshaping the political landscape Democrats are gaining traction by living, and figures such as reframing the migration debate. Latino and minority voter trends vision remain key challenges
issues where approval has remained relatively stable. In contrast, other Democratic figures have been notably cautious, making Mamdani’s approach more compelling.
He has reframed the conversation about migration in human terms. New York is a city built by migrants, and its message has been consistent: migrants will be defended. Hearing a younger voice within the Democratic Party speak in these terms has resonated with migrant communities—Latino, African, and Middle Eastern alike. At the same time, public opinion appears to be shifting, with growing concern about the excessive use of force in immigration enforcement. Mamdani could signal a renewed push for the party to engage more directly with the issue, in line with what voters are demanding.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2028
One key point of debate is the shift in voting patterns among migrant-origin populations, particularly Latino and African American voters, who have moved in greater numbers toward the Republican Party. While they still largely favor Democrats, the margin has narrowed. The party will need to build
04 THE PARTY’S MAIN CHALLENGE REMAINS TO BUILD A CREDIBLE LONG-TERM VISION AMID SHIFTING LATINO AND MINORITY VOTING TRENDS. 04-05 MONDAY 04 / 20 / 2026
a credible alternative to this trend.
Latino voting trends are shifting, narrowing Democrats’ traditional electoral edge.
Progressive messaging energizes the base, but it has not proven sufficient to win elections on its own. Economic concerns may offer a viable path forward—and much of that will depend on President Trump. If he fails to deliver on this front, a fracture could emerge between the Republican Party and its base, especially as he looks toward reelection. Mamdani’s victory has sparked enthusiasm, but a broader vision for New York is still needed. He campaigned on rhetoric some labeled utopian and now faces the realities of governing. The “socialist” label carries weight in U.S. politics, particularly among Latino voters, and could become a powerful tool for Republicans. Unfulfilled campaign promises may be cited as evidence of what does not work.
This is especially significant because New York is the media capital of the world—what fails there is amplified globally. Ultimately, the question is which model will deliver better results and sustain momentum into the 2028 primaries.
* The author is a political analyst, @marcoafrieri
WHEN ENFORCEMENT BECOMES MIGRATION, USE OF FORCE, & POLARIZATION
BECOMES CONFLICT MIGRATION, FORCE, POLARIZATION
BY: ARIEL RUIZ SOTO*
ALEJANDRO
The enforcement of immigration policy does not occur in a vacuum. Its effects are felt in specific communities, local dynamics, and national public opinion.
The Minneapolis case marked a turning point. The city, home to a large Somali community, became the site of operations that led to more violent confrontations than elsewhere. The difference was not necessarily the number of undocumented individuals, but rather the level of community organization and the coordinated response by immigrant protection groups.
When enforcement actions began to affect U.S. citizens, the narrative shifted. The use of force was no longer seen as targeting immigrants alone but as a broader issue of institutional legitimacy. This became a strategic misstep that altered the course of the federal deployment.
While attention focused on so-called “sanctuary” cities, less emphasis was placed on states such as Texas and Florida, where recent legislation has expanded immigration enforcement powers for local and state police. In these states, undocumented individuals face fewer legal protections and a higher risk of detention for minor infractions.
This geographic shift in enforcement creates an uneven map of how the law is applied. The experience of an undocumented person can vary dramatically depending on the state in which they live.
At the same time, the detention system has expanded rapidly. Currently, nearly 70,000 people are in immigration custody, compared with just over 40,000 at the end of the previous administration. The stated goal is to reach 100,000 by the end of the year. This expansion not only requires more infrastructure but also raises concerns about detention conditions.
Detentions, in theory, should be brief and include access to basic services. However, when processes extend for weeks, conditions can become inhumane. Reports of family separation, limited access to services, and a lack of clear standards have fueled concerns about human rights.
Enforcement actions affecting citizens have raised concerns about legitimacy.
Detention expansion fuels human rights concerns and oversight challenges.
01 02 03
Immigration policy is deepening political divides across the U.S.
This context has also led to political fragmentation. Some voters who previously supported stricter immigration policies are now uncomfortable with excessive use of force or operations perceived as indiscriminate. The administration now faces not only opposition criticism but also tensions within its own base.
Moreover, the expansion of the enforcement apparatus has symbolic effects. Increased visibility of operations, federal presence, and large-scale deployments aim to project authority, but may also deepen social polarization and erode trust in institutions.
Even during partial federal government shutdowns, immigration operations continue thanks to previously allocated funds and their designation as “essential” functions. This underscores the executive branch’s structural capacity to sustain enforcement, even amid budgetary tensions.
The underlying question is both strategic and political: can a predominantly coercive approach resolve a structural, transnational phenomenon? Without comprehensive legislative reform to modernize the system, any future administration may intensify or scale back enforcement, but the framework will remain unchanged.
Beyond numbers or deployments, the immigration debate in the United States is entering a phase where enforcement intersects with democratic legitimacy, human rights, and political calculation. In that terrain, the consequences may extend far beyond the border.
* The author is a Senior Analyst at the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) .
Encounters at the U.S. southern border are at their lowest in over fifty years, while millions of migrants continue to search for better income and opportunities. The data show their origins, earnings, and the industries in which they work in developed countries.
BY: OSO OSEGUERA
ARTWORK: ALEJANDRO OYERVIDES
Migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border are at their lowest in over 50 years. U.S. Border Patrol encounters with migrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico have fallen to the lowest level in more than five decades, according to a Pew Research Center analysis based on federal government data.
The Border Patrol recorded 237,538 migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border during fiscal year 2025, which began in October 2024 and ended in September 2025. This marks a sharp drop from over 1.5 million encounters in fiscal 2024, more than 2 million in 2023, and a record of over 2.2 million in 2022. The 2025 total was the lowest in any fiscal year since 1970, based on historical Border Patrol data.
In 2025, migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border reached the lowest level since 1970.
The federal fiscal year runs from October through September, so fiscal 2025 includes nearly four months of the Biden administration. Migrant encounters during Biden’s last four months in office were significantly higher than in the months following Trump’s return.
Since February 2025, the first full month of Trump’s current term, the Border Patrol has recorded fewer than 10,000 encounters each month at the southwestern border. These are the lowest totals in over 25 years of available monthly data. Recent numbers have been even lower than the 16,182 encounters in April 2020, when international migration sharply declined early in the coronavirus pandemic.
Historically, the number of migrants entering the U.S. from Mexico has varied due to economic, political, and security conditions in migrants’ home countries, as well as policy changes in the U.S., Mexico, and other nations.
Across most OECD countries in the dataset, immigrant earnings grow significantly within the first five years. The table below ranks countries by the percentage increase in average real earnings for immigrants. Germany leads the way, with a 48% increase in immigrant earnings from year one to year five after entry. It is the top destination for immigrants in the European Union, and about 20% of its population is foreign-born.
In the United States, the top destination country for immigrants, earnings rise from $27,375 in the first year to $39,163 in the fifth year, a 43% increase of nearly $12,000. On the other hand, the Netherlands and New Zealand go against the trend of rising immigrant earnings. In both countries, immigrants, on average, earn slightly less after five years than they did in their first year, with income dropping by 6%.
Source: PEW Research (2025)
Monthly statistics show an even larger drop in migrant encounters during Trump’s second term. Although annual data indicate a significant decline at the U.S.-Mexico border in the 2025 fiscal year, these numbers underestimate the decrease that has taken place since Trump’s second term started on January 20, 2025.
Source: PEW Research (2025)
MIGRATION
Fewer crossings, more questions about the American Dream IN NUMBERS
IMMIGRANTS IN THE UNITED STATES BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
The U.S. foreign-born population reached 47.8 million in 2023. Mexico continues to be the leading source of immigrants by a significant margin, with other major origins including India, China, and the Philippines.
The U.S. has long been a top destination for immigrants seeking better opportunities. As of 2023, nearly 48 million people in the country were born abroad, making up 14% of the total population.
This visualization breaks down the largest immigrant groups in America by nationality, highlighting the top 10 countries in each region. Note that this analysis focuses only on legal immigrants.
Source: OECD (2025)
Source: Migration Policy Institute (2025)
COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS (1995 VS. 2020)
India was the top country of origin for immigrants in 2020, with 17.8 million immigrants. In simple terms, about 1 in 16 immigrants worldwide that year were from India.
Mexico ranked second with 11.1 million immigrants, while Russia was third with 10.7 million.
In fact, the top three countries (Russia, India, and Mexico) have remained the same from 1995 to 2020, although their rankings have shifted.
India and Mexico saw steady population growth during that period, while Russia experienced net outmigration, resulting in a smaller population today than in 1990.
Source: OECD, International Migration Outlook (2025)
WHERE DO IMMIGRANTS WORK IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES?
Hospitality and administrative services have the highest percentage of immigrants—over 16% in accommodation and food, and 17% in administrative activities. These industries often rely on flexible and seasonal workers, making them common entry points for newcomers.
Construction also shows a modest concentration of immigrants, reflecting long-term demand for skilled and semi-skilled labor. Together, these industries highlight where migration most clearly supports economic activity.
In developed countries, immigrants are disproportionately employed in hospitality, administrative services, and construction jobs.
Native-born workers are more common in the public sector, healthcare, and manufacturing.
BY: GONZALO LIRA GALVAN
The original film thrived on contradiction: a young woman navigating ambition while being devoured by it, under the command of a woman who had already paid the price of power. The sequel sharpens that tension. This time, the question is no longer whether success is worth sacrifice—it’s who gets to define the terms of that sacrifice in the first place.
Gender equity sits at the center of the film’s gravity. Miranda Priestly, once framed as an almost mythological tyrant, is now contextualized within a broader system that rewards ruthlessness in women while celebrating it in men. The sequel dares to ask what happens when a generation of women refuses to emulate that model. Andy, no longer the wide-eyed assistant, embodies this shift. She is neither submissive nor reactionary; she is strategic. And in that strategy lies the film’s quiet rebellion.
But perhaps the most biting critique comes through its portrayal of labor. The fashion industry remains the film’s stage, yet it feels more like a metaphor for the modern workplace at large. Endless internships, invisible labor, the normalization of burnout—these are no longer background details. They are the story. The assistants are no longer comic relief; they are the structural backbone, and the film finally acknowledges the cost of building empires on disposable ambition.
It is here where The Devil Wears Prada 2 becomes unexpectedly political. Not in a didactic sense, but in the way it mirrors a global conversation about work, dignity, and survival. The characters are no longer chasing dreams; they are negotiating terms of existence.
That tension carried beyond the screen when Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway arrived in Mexico City to promote the film. Their visit was not just a press tour—it became an event that blurred the line between fiction and reality. Standing before an audience that understands precarious labor not as a theme but as a lived condition, the film’s message resonated differently.
Streep, in particular, delivered remarks that sparked immediate conversation. She spoke of lead-
The sequel reframes ambition, shifting from sacrifice to control over who defines success and its costs! 01
Gender equity anchors the story, exposing how power rewards ruthlessness in women but praises it in men 02
Andy evolves into a strategic force, rejecting submission while redefining ambition on her own terms 03
The film exposes burnout and invisible labor as central, not background, to modern work culture 04
ership, of the responsibility that comes with power, and made a pointed comparison between Mexico’s current political climate and that of the United States under Donald Trump. Her reference to Claudia Sheinbaum was measured but unmistakable—an acknowledgment of a leadership style that, in her words, “attempts to reconcile authority with social accountability.”
The contrast was deliberate. In a world where power often manifests as spectacle, Streep’s comments suggested an alternative: governance as stewardship rather than dominance. Whether one agrees with her assessment is almost secondary. What mattered was the context—a Hollywood icon using a promotional platform to draw a line between two visions of power, echoing the very themes the film explores.
“Life on earth is in flux right now”, said Meryl Streep during The Devil Wears Prada 2 red carpet in Mexico City. “A lot of things are changing rapidly. I think we’re getting more comfortable as a society with women in positions of leadership. And that’s a good thing, because we were missing a 50 per cent of the wisdom in the world by not listening to female voices”, Streep added.
Anne Hathaway, for her part, leaned into the generational shift the film represents. She spoke about boundaries, about redefining ambition, about refusing the mythology that suffering is a prerequisite for success. If Streep embodied the past reckoning with power, Hathaway represented its possible future.
And Mexico City, vibrant and restless, proved to be the perfect backdrop for this conversation. It is a place where contradictions coexist—where aspiration and inequality, creativity and constraint, all collide in real time. The film’s themes did not feel imported; they felt native.
In many ways, The Devil Wears Prada 2 succeeds not because it continues a beloved story, but because it reframes it. It understands that the audience has changed, that the world has changed, and that the
Beyond fashion, the sequel becomes a political mirror of power, labor and dignity, asking who shapes the rules of survival ’
old narratives of ambition no longer hold without scrutiny.
“One thing that has changed in the last twenty years is that power used to be very centrally located. But as things have gone digital, we’ve seen power balances become more democratic” explained Anne Hathaway at the red carpet. “The conversation about inclusivity has been taking many steps forward. But that’s the way of change. Also, I notice that some of the gatekeeping has relaxed a bit, and that’s allowed more voices to be heard”, she concluded.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is not a sequel about fashion. It is a sequel about power—who wields it, who pays for it, and who dares to imagine it differently.
And perhaps that is its most radical gesture: to suggest that the real transformation is not in climbing the ladder, but in questioning why the ladder exists at all.
Miranda Priestly is no longer
There is something quietly subversive about returning to a story like The Devil Wears Prada in the mid2020s. What once felt like a glossy satire of fashion’s impossible standards now lands closer to a cultural autopsy. The Devil Wears Prada 2 doesn’t merely revisit Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs—it interrogates the systems that made them inevitable.
the profound shallowness of Meryl, Anne & The Devil Wears Prada
