A Mexican single mother Rosario left her 7-year-old son Carlitos in Mexico with his grandmother. She crossed the border illegally by swimming the river to enter the U.S. She was hoping to make a better life for herself and Carlitos by making better amount of money. She was doing housekeeping works in Los Angeles without authorization. When Carlitos’ grandmother, Rosario’s mother, passed away several years later, Carlitos decided to cross the border to see his mother.
In this film, precious Mexican culture was shown such as making chocolate milk every morning, dressing up Carlitos, Rosario’s pretty summer dresses, and showing the way to have a birthday party, and the foods. “The spatial movement of border crossing, and border crossing as the mixing of cultural forms and subjectivity” (67) The most I considered was the difficulties of working and staying in the U.S. without legal documents. I came here as an international student, but to keep my status, I needed to work to make payments of tuition. I am going to review the difficulties of being an undocumented worker, difficulties of financial improvement and difficulties of working conditions and difficulties to handle the fear of being arrested.
As in the scene of laundry mat, it was very difficult to change the life while working without legal documents. Employer paid only the minimum wages, and sometimes took more money away from the payment as a processing fee. In the film, Rosario got fired from a housekeeping work, without notice and got shrunk payment but she just needed to accept the situation because there was no way to fight or argue with the employers. She needed to save money by eating very cheap food. She was eating a cracker with a piece of chili in the movie. There is no hope to live a better life without legal documents.
While being an undocumented worker, being arrested is the most unwanted incidence. In the film, there were scenes of passing border. Mother was swimming the river, Carlitos was hiding himself in the seat of a car, and both are life threatening action. They cross the border successfully; however, they will never feel free form the stress from being arrested. In the scene of tomato field, there were inspection from INS, the people were arrested violently, and some people got hit by officers. I felt this was not right. Close to the last scene, Enrique got arrested by police officers. He was a good person, did not relapse into crime, but was arrested. We can observe A violent immigration arresting video and ICE (U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement) news.
When I came to the U.S. as an international student, I was able to have a social security number, driver’s license and allowed to work 20 hours per week. Even though, I was a documented worker, I always had a fear of being arrest because I worked more than the limitation of 20 hours. I was doing waitress in a Japanese restaurant and I was told that when the green truck would stop in front, run away. “For unauthorized migrants, there is no such thing as a “minor” arrest. Arrest can trigger immigration enforcement. ICE’s strategy involves using the criminal justice system, particularly jails, as places to locate deportable immigrants.” (Armenta, 3) I wonder in what way we can change this corrupted law enforcement system. Many good people are arrested violently and deported every day.
Hi Sarah,
The idea of having to live with such a fear is something I can not imagine. I love this movie because it gives the audience an insight into what immigrants in the US deal with. When she gets fired from her job as a housekeeper and is basically exploited that truly hit home for me. So many immigrants live in fear and people truly take advantage of their situations things like what she went through happen all the time and it is horrible. I do appreciate however that This film showed that side of things because it is something you do not often get to see.
Sara,
I love this movie because this film reflects the struggle of both immigrants and single mothers. This type of film should be mainstreamed, in my opinion. This would raise awareness of the issues that surround the Latin community.
Hi Sarah,
This sounds like such a sad story that needs to be told because it is a sad reality of many immigrants. This topic has been on the news a lot lately and it seems to remain relevant through time. I know a lot of immigrants who are afraid to go to dinner in areas where they might get “caught” by ICE and the fear is absolutely real. Even when doing everything they are supposed to do, like work and go to school the way you did, the fear remains and will probably resonate with you for the rest of your life. Thank you for sharing your review and a part of your own experience.
Hello Sarah. I remember watching this film years ago and it was a tear jerker. The film demonstrates the will of a mother who does what she has to, to make a better life for her son, and her son who does what he has to, to be with his mother again. This film takes a realistic view of the risks and struggles many immigrant Mexican women had to endure in crossing the border illegally and being exploited by their employers because they are undocumented. Like you mentioned in your blog about Rosario being employed as a housekeeper and then being fired without good cause. Although this movie is not a representation of all undocumented immigrants, it allows the viewer an insight of the struggles, sacrifices and obstacles that some immigrants who entered the United States illegally with no other recourse have had to endure. I appreciate that the film’s three main characters were Mexican (instead of casting non-Latinx). In fact, they were all, and still are, famous actors in Mexico. I also appreciate your candor at your closing. You were very honest and I can see how you tied your personal experience with the film.
Hi Sara,
I have not seen this film or heard about this film, but it’s one that I will add to my must-see films list. I give you a lot of credit for coming to the U.S. as an international student, that takes a lot of courage. I can’t even fathom the fear of being arrested for working over the allotted 20 hours per week. I don’t know anyone who could pay for University tuition on a 20 hour per week, minimum wage paying job. With everything going on today in our government my hope is things will change for the better and protect those as yourself who come here to aspire towards the American dream; to have a better life then what they had from their country. I’m glad you’re in our class!
Sarah,
Your movie choice seems to reflect a lot of personal fears you had when you came to the U.S. as an international student and were working to make sure you could get by. Movies like this are important because someone like me, who has not had to face those kind of fears, has a greater understanding of the exploitation that happens here in the U.S. The media rhetoric often portrays immigrants in an unfriendly or unwelcoming light but ultimately most immigrants here are just trying to create a new opportunity for themselves.
This is a very heartbreaking film, the fact that Rosario had to leave her son in Mexico for a better life for her Carlito’s. She had to cross the border to get to the U.S., this is like the character Rudy from the film Born in East L.A. when he was trying to get back to the U.S. He was a citizen but because he was dark skinned and didn’t look American, he was deported wrongfully. The film depicts the struggles that immigrants face when living in a foreign country and being undocumented and how challenging it is for them to find employment in a foreign land without being taken advantage of.
Hello Sara,
I can only imagine what you went through, living in fear sounds horrible. Im glad you’ve passed that play of your life. As carlitos was able to find his mother in a whole new world, makes me beleive that anything is possible in this world. The struggles of an immigrant can’t are the results of the poor conditions and controlled administrators in our latin american countries. I agree with you about the laws needing to be change, the laws that continue to favor cheap lavor are unacceptable. I wish you well in your journey and hope things are now better for you.