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America: Land of Opportunity, Land of Danger by Katy Preston WARNING: Spoiler alert for all films discussed. Immigration has been a popular topic for films practically since the beginning of the cinema’s popularity. Film characters immigrate for a variety of reasons: for money; for safety; for pleasure; to forget the past. Almost any reason for immigration results in an entertaining and compelling story. Although films about immigration are diverse, many of them still have common plot lines and themes. In this article, I’ll identify a few of those elements and discuss how they are used in a variety of films about immigration. Again, please realize that this article may spoil the ending of a film for you if you have not seen it. You can find a list of the films discussed here. Immigrants vs. Natives With its running time of 20 minutes, The Immigrant (1917) doesn’t take long to get its unnamed immigrant protagonist, a version of Charlie Chaplin’s famous tramp character, into trouble. The trouble starts on the boat to New York, when Chaplin’s character decides to give another poor immigrant his money—and then takes back a little for himself. Of course, the American officer aboard the ship sees only the second part of this transaction, and accuses Chaplin’s character of stealing. Although this mix-up is straightened out, the fact remains that the American officer perceived the immigrant’s actions incorrectly, resulting in conflict. The classic West Side Story (1961) contains a more dangerous conflict between immigrants and natives. In this film, two gangs of native-born and Puerto Rican adolescents battle for turf in New York City. In fact, West Side Story is a modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; and like its source material, West Side Story ends in tragedy, with the two gangs finally resolving their conflicts only after many of them end up dead. In House of Sand and Fog (2003), immigrants and natives also fight for ownership of a physical space—in this case, a house. The opposing parties in House of Sand and Fog begin in a state of hostility, then reach a tentative understanding, and then lapse into hostility again—largely because of incorrect assumptions and misunderstandings that result from their differences. Gangs of New York (2002), directed by Martin Scorsese, depicts violent battles between native and Irish-immigrant gangs in mid-19th century New York City. In the opening sequence of Gangs of New York, a battle between these two sides stains the snow red with blood, setting up the intense physical and emotional conflict that will pervade the rest of the film. On the other hand, films like The Joy Luck Club (1993) and My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) focus more on the children of immigrants and how they react to American culture. Conflict arises in both films when second-generation Americans are trapped between the “old” culture of their parents and the “new” culture of the United States. My Big Fat Greek Wedding eventually manages a compromise between the two, represented in the marriage of a Greek American and a “native”; The Joy Luck Club, however, ends more ambiguously, with the characters wondering how much they have lost by abandoning certain Chinese traditions in favor of American ones. Looking at these conflicts alone, it might seem that these films paint a discouraging picture for American immigrants. However, in most of these films, both parties do end up reaching a compromise at the end, which allows for some optimism, even if that compromise comes at a great price. Furthermore, many of these films suggest that conflicts between immigrants and natives exist for superficial or inadequate reasons, even during their tensest moments. So overall, these films seem to be saying that even if things are bad in the present, there is hope for something better in the future—a simple but powerful point of view. Illegal Immigration It comes as no surprise that several recent films have explored illegal immigration. Crime is an enormously popular topic in movies, partly due to the inherent drama of breaking the law. And America’s current political focus on illegal immigration makes it an even more interesting topic for American audiences. El Norte (1983), directed by Gregory Naya, is one of the most well-known and critically acclaimed films about illegal immigration. In this film, indigenous Guatemalan siblings Rosa (Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez) and Enrique (David Villalpando) illegally immigrate to the United States after their parents become the victims of ethnic and political persecution. El Norte (“the North”) portrays Rosa and Enrique’s journey from beginning to end, sparing no details in depicting their harrowing experience; in one scene, the two young protagonists cross the U.S.–Mexican border through a sewage pipe, where they are attacked by rats. Even after they reach the United States, Rosa and Enrique don’t do as well as they’d hoped. Enrique finds success initially but is set back when his jealous coworker reports him to immigration officials. Although Enrique has another job offer, he declines it when his sister comes down with typhoid fever from the rat attack. After Rosa dies, Enrique is left right back where he started despite the supposed promise of “el norte.” One interesting aspect of El Norte is the fact that Rosa and Enrique have a legitimate basis for immigrating. Both of their parents have been killed due to persecution, and Rosa and Enrique fear for their own lives. Under these circumstances, they probably could have sought asylum in the United States rather than suffering the way they did. The problem is that they didn’t know about this policy, so they saw illegal immigration as their only choice. Maria Full of Grace (2004) represents a more recent (and more controversial) take on illegal immigration. This film’s 17-year-old protagonist, Maria (Catalina Sandino Moreno), travels to the United States as a drug mule. Maria swallows 62 rubber pellets filled with drugs and flies to New York City to deliver them to dealers there. Although Maria’s courage makes her a sympathetic character for most viewers, her circumstances are more questionable than Rosa and Enrique’s. Whereas Rosa and Enrique immigrate because of persecution, Maria crosses the border to commit a crime and make money from it. Although most audience members can probably sympathize with Maria’s reasons for making these choices, they might not approve of the choices themselves. In America (2002) differs from these two films by portraying illegal immigration across the U.S.-Canadian border. In this film, an Irish family moves to New York City after the death of one of the children. When they cross the border, they tell the border official that they are only visiting the country, which they are legally allowed to do for 90 days or less; however, they plan to rent an apartment in New York and live there permanently. It’s interesting, and perhaps rather telling, that this Irish family is able to blend into New York and the United States much more easily than Maria, Rosa, or Enrique—thus emphasizing how differently contemporary America sees white European immigrants versus Latino immigrants from Central and South America. This disparity may be uncomfortable to think about, but it is a major issue in American politics today. The American Government and Its Bureaucracy One interesting aspect of films about immigration is their portrayal of individual human beings interacting with larger institutions—most notably the law and the courts, but also smaller manifestations of the government, such as border officials. In fact, interaction between humans and the bureaucracy is central to the conflict of The Terminal (2004). The premise of this film is that while a man’s flight is on its way to the United States, his country’s government is overthrown, so his passport is no longer valid when he arrives in New York. An official tells Victor (Tom Hanks) that he’s fallen through a crack in the system: he can’t be admitted into the United States, and he can’t be sent home. All he can do is wait. Ridiculously, Victor ends up living in the airport for several months. Meanwhile, Dixon (Stanley Tucci), the official in charge of Victor’s case, has no idea how to deal with Victor’s situation. The only solutions he can find involve breaking the law, which Victor refuses to do. In the end, Victor’s situation is resolved only by outside circumstances (the reinstatement of his country’s government). Dixon and the U.S. bureaucracy that he symbolizes are powerless to deal with Victor’s problem for most of the film. Even though every other character in the film can see that Victor’s intentions are innocent, the bureaucracy is unable to make this kind of human judgment. Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant also portrays individual immigrants facing a large and rather cruel bureaucracy. When the immigrants in this film are preparing to disembark and enter the United States, the officials treat them more like sheep or cattle than human beings. Chaplin’s character even ends up kicking one of the officials for the rude treatment he receives. Immigration officials also provide a major source of drama in the 1990 comedy Green Card. In this film, an American woman and a French man set up a marriage of convenience: she wants an apartment that’s only available to married couples, and he needs a green card for a job he’s been offered. The couple then has to prove to the immigration officials that they are really in love. Of course, since Green Card is a romantic comedy, the two characters do begin to fall in love before long. Nonetheless, it’s easy to see the absurdity of having to prove one’s romantic feelings to a government official. In all three of these films, government regulations, based on cold, hard reason, conflict with emotions and human individuality. Furthermore, there is little question in both films that the latter should be prized over the former. Exploitation of Immigrants In one memorable scene from Gangs of New York, Irish immigrants file off the boat and up to a table with Union Army recruiters sitting behind it. At this table, the immigrant men sign documents promising them citizenship in exchange for their military service (the film takes place during the Civil War). Then the immigrants are immediately outfitted with their weapons and uniforms, and herded onto another boat, which will take them to the battle. As the immigrant men file onto the boat, we see, above their heads, the coffins of their predecessors being hoisted off of it. Admittedly, this scene might be an exaggeration. Still, its effect is chilling. These immigrants are poor, uneducated, and vulnerable. Audience members have to wonder: is the Union Army in this scene being just—presenting the immigrants with a fair tradeoff, citizenship for military service—or are these immigrants being cruelly exploited? Maria Full of Grace presents another possible example of exploitation, as young women’s bodies are used as receptacles to transport illegal drugs. We see that these human bodies are worth much less than the drugs inside them when one sick girl’s body is cut open for the pellets in her stomach. Some of the women also have trouble getting the money they are owed for their service, showing how little they are valued individually. The animated feature An American Tail (1986) paints a surprisingly harsh picture of immigrant exploitation. In this film, a family of Russian mice immigrate to the United States to escape dangerous invasions by cats—a clear representation of the Russian pogroms of the late 19th century. Young Fievel Mousekowitz (Philip Glasser) and his family have been told that America is a wonderful place where “there are no cats” and “the streets are paved with cheese.” However, when they arrive in New York City, they discover that the cats are running things there as well (now in the form of the mafia rather than the Cossacks). When Fievel is separated from his family, he meets Warren T. Rat (John Finnegan), a cat in disguise who deceives mice into paying him for worthless “protection” from the cat gang. Warren tricks Fievel, too, and essentially sells the young boy into slavery at a sweatshop. Fievel does eventually escape and find his family, and Warren receives his just deserts in the end. Still, the merciless cruelty of Warren and the other cats is surprising for a children’s film and remains with the viewer even after the final credits roll. It’s worth nothing that the protagonists of all three of these films end up escaping or rising above their exploitative situations. Maria gets her money and decides to stay in the United States and raise her baby there. The Irish in Gangs of New York eventually riot against the Army recruiters. And Fievel escapes from the sweatshop and rises up against the evil cats. This pattern is not surprising given that audiences are interested in seeing characters who fight rather than characters who give up. But it also suggests that even if things are hard for immigrants to America, there is still hope of making things better. Indeed, these films reinforce the very essence of the American dream: that even though every immigrant might not succeed here, even the most oppressed immigrants have a chance to succeed. A Final Note: ”Realism” and the Portrayal of Immigration in Film When watching films about immigration, it’s important to remember that the filmmakers might not be representing—or even trying to represent—what most immigrants experience. Films are inherently driven by drama and conflict. Although many films certainly do have happy endings, those happy endings tend to come after a certain amount of hardship; quick and easy solutions are boring. Of course, that’s not to say that films aren’t “realistic,” either. Many immigrants probably have experienced similar conflicts and emotions to those portrayed in these films. Then again, many other immigrants probably haven’t. My point is that it’s impossible to tell how many have done so from the films themselves, and we shouldn’t take any of them at face value. Having said that, I do think most immigrants have probably experienced at least a small part of what’s presented in many of these films. As a matter of fact, I think that most human beings probably have. Most of these plots stem from the characters’ being in a new place, and the sense of simultaneous opportunity and vulnerability they feel in that situation—something that all people experience sometime in their lives. As the most extreme example of this situation, immigration provides an interesting framework in which to explore it. However, we should also ask whether these films explore something specific about immigrating to America. The United States is unique among most other developed countries in that its majority population is composed entirely of immigrants and their descendants. This fact makes stories about American immigrants even more relevant to America’s “native” population. The United States is also unique in its size and prowess—economically, culturally, and politically. So in a way, immigrating to America is the ultimate immigration experience. It presents great opportunities—possibly the greatest opportunities—but also the greatest risks. This notion is reflected in many of these films, where America is both amazing and terrifying, both wonderful and horrible. Films about immigration to America show us, through the individual lives of interesting people, how America can be both a land of opportunity and a dangerous place. It makes them compelling in terms of both their stories and their themes. And I have little doubt that these films will continue to reflect both of those realities for many years to come. I strongly encourage you to watch some of these films. I am confident you will enjoy them, both for their gripping stories and for their interesting perspectives on a topic that affects all of us in the United States. An American Tail. Dir. Don Bluth. Perf. Philip Glasser and John Finnegan. Amblin Entertainment, 1986. El Norte. Dir. Gregory Nava. Perf. Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez and David Villalpando. American Playhouse, 1983. Green Card. Dir. Peter Weir. Australian Film Finance Corporation, 1990. House of Sand and Fog. Dir. Vadim Perelman. Dreamworks SKG, 2003. Immigrant, The. Dir. Charles Chaplin. Perf. Charles Chaplin. Lone Star Corporation, 1917. In America. Dir. Jim Sheridan. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2002. Joy Luck Club, The. Dir. Wayne Wang. Hollywood Pictures, 1993. Maria Full of Grace. Dir. Joshua Marston. Perf. Catalina Sandino Moreno. HBO Films, 2004. My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Dir. Joel Zwick. Big Wedding, 2002. Terminal, The. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Perf. Tom Hanks and Stanley Tucci. Dreamworks SKG, 2004. West Side Story. Dir. Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise. Mirisch Corporation, 1961. More Films on Immigration http://imdb.com/keyword/immigration/ --------------- At Zhang & Associates, P.C., our attorneys and supporting professionals are committed to providing high quality immigration and non-immigration visa services. We specialize in NIW, EB-1, PERM and I-485 cases. In the past twelve years, we have successfully helped thousands of clients get green cards. If you plan to apply for a green card, please send your CV to Attorney Jerry Zhang (info@hooyou.com) for a free evaluation. Houston: 7324 Southwest Freeway, Suite 1088, Houston, TX 77074 In the moment of dynamics, our clients can always count on us. (01/22/2008) For more immigration news, please click here |
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