immigrantsnborders

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THE MOON.

The symbolism of the moon in the story is especially important to the characters of Rosario and Carlitos because it reminds them that though they may be far from each other, they still share the same moon. It is a way that the characters were able to stay strong and optimistic of their passage in the film/plot. 

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Conclusion.

The experiences immigrants have whilst migrating to the U.S. and in relation to borders can never be replicated, but Under the Same Moon used the development of its characters and their obstacles to create a bond between the audience and the characters. This allowed the audiences to feel more for the characters and it helped the messages of the film come across stronger. I believe that although it is not a perfect illustration of the migratory experience, Under the Same Moon is a great starting point that opens the doors to many discussions regarding migration, the border, and the lives of immigrants in the U.S. 

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Enrique

Enrique was not a character that was present from the beginning of the film, but his introduction to the film and his character development served as one of the harshest realities in the film. Enrique initially was not attempting to become attached to Carlitos because he was already living a difficult life in the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant. The new baggage of a child would cause him excessive stress that he did not need, but Enrique took Carlitos under his wing and protected him. As illustrated in the clips below, Enrique gave himself up to protect Carlitos from getting captured by the cops and most likely deported back to Mexico, away from his mother once again. Because Enrique understood how severe Carlitos’ situation was and he was in Carlitos’ same position but as an adult, he sacrificed his own freedom and chance at a life in the U.S. so that Carlitos may have his reuniting with Rosario. The story of Enrique ended tragically because the audience was not able to learn about what happened to him after he was taken by police. Those familiar with the experiences of immigrants, though, understand that most likely Enrique was deported back to Mexico and he would never have an opportunity to live out ‘the American Dream”. His sudden disappearance from the film and storyline is illustrative of what actually happens to immigrants in real life: they disappear from American society and return to their previous lives without a trace. 

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Rosario

The character of Rosario is a resemblance of undocumented mothers that come to this country ‘con la esperenza de crear un hogar’. Mothers come to the U.S. day after day attempting to find a stable home that they can bring their children to, but they are continuously met with obstacles and discrimination that we witnessed Rosario also face in the film. In the film, Rosario must work a job that does not treat her fairly, let go from said job unfairly, and she is still attempting to remain positive so that one day she may bring her son to live with her. These are familiar circumstances that immigrant mothers must deal with in reality. I think that Rosario’s character allowed audiences blind to the lives of immigrants, to see how difficult life is for immigrants. It allowed audiences to develop a consciousness and consideration for immigrants that may have not been present before. These characteristics of Rosario made her character necessary in this film. 

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Carlitos

Carlitos’ character is necessary in the development and pathos relatability between the audience and the film. His excess of problems and his charismatic nature made many audiences and characters in the film care and root for him. Carlitos’ character is that of a young child simply yearning for love and affection from his mother not understanding that his mother is unable to currently give him those things because she is trying to build a better life in a new country. As we all know, children going through trauma or heartache does not sit well with the American audience, and therefore the trials that Carlitos went through made people become more affected by the story. The character of Carlitos allowed audiences to truly connect themselves to his passage in the film because of his vulnerability and in turn the message of the story was better understood. 

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SACRIFICE.

In this clip from the film, we see the true spirit and courage that immigrants possess. Enrique, an ‘illegal’ immigrant that was attempting to live life in America comfortably without getting caught sees that Carlitos is about to be discovered and taken away. Enrique had taken Carlitos under his wing in a way and saw himself in Carlitos. As an immigrant himself, he sympathized with Carlitos and knew that he had to do whatever was necessary to get Carlitos to his mother, so he gave himself up to the police and he would be deported. This courage that he possessed in this instance and also when he immigrated here is something that is common amongst immigrants in the U.S. because they all have that fear and angst of being deported and not building a life for themselves in the land of opportunity. This scene was extremely important to show the character and humanity of the characters in the film and of immigrants in general. 

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ROSARIO IS LET GO.

In this clip of the film we see where Rosario works and who she works for. Like many undocumented immigrants, Rosario had to find employment without having the necessary paperwork that would have allowed her to have a tax-reporting legal job. She instead has to be a maid for a woman that, as you can see here, is extremely mean, inconsiderate, and cruel to Rosario. The employer uses Rosario’s legal status to frighten her and force her to accept the mistreatment that she is putting her through. When Rosario asks for her last wages after she has been let go the employer refuses and sarcastically tells Rosario to call the police about the mistreatment when she knows that Rosario is in the U.S. illegally. This specific scene in the movie illustrates the mistreatment and inferiority that immigrants must go through when they come to the U.S. People like this employer see immigrants as disposable labor that they can offend, discriminate, and take advantage of simply because they know that immigrants have sacrificed everything just to simply live and work in a country they were blessed with naturally inhabiting. 

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ROSARIO AND CARLITOS SPEAK ON HIS BIRTHDAY.

In this part of the film, the story of Carlitos’ voyage to the U.S. still has not begun, but what pushed him to take that voyage is illustrated here. In the movie, Carlitos was staying with his elderly grandmother until she passed away, but he was always yearning for the presence of his mother and couldn’t wait to be reunited with her. Rosario calls him on his birthday and wishes him a happy birthday, but when she asks him what he wants for his birthday he says he wants her to come home. This breaks Rosario’s heart because although she would love nothing more than to be reunited with her son, she is away from him trying to build them a better life. These sentiments and illustrations mirror the reality that immigrants face in America. Parents leave their children behind in hopes of building a home so that they can bring their children over to the U.S. already set up, but children naturally do not understand why their parents left them. The separation of parents and children has been an ongoing topic in immigration in the U.S. and this film hints at it in various points of the narrative. 

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My mom said that when I missed her I should look at the moon 'cause she'd be looking at it too, so I could feel close to her and not be sad.

Carlitos, Under the Moon (2007)

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TRAILER

The trailer gives an inside look as to how gut-wrenching and relatable the film will be to the immigrant and latino population in America. At the time, conversations about immigration and “illegal” immigrants were circulating heavily in politics, and this film opened the door to conversations less about paperwork or legality and more about human beings following dreams and opportunities for a better life. The character development and plot establishment enabled audiences to relate to the actors and their emotions or actions and in turn, it made audiences reflect on their lives in America and on immigrants. Our lessons on migration and borders are an explanation of how and why people come to the decision to migrate to the U.S. and I believe this film illustrates the trials and tribulations that they face once they have made that decision. This film also illustrates how that decision impacts their loved ones as well. 

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THE BORDER

The border that is pictured above is the obstacle that the characters in the film must overcome to be reunited. Likewise, people in real life are separated from their loved ones and millions of opportunities to have a better life by this same border. This border, which was only established after the expansion of the U.S. took a portion of Mexican territory, separated families that lived minutes from each other and continues to separate families that would have otherwise lived in the same country.  The film uses the story of Rosario and Carlitos to illustrate how difficult it truly is to overcome this obstacle. 

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ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Patricia Riggen, born in Guadalajara, Mexico on June 2nd 1970 is the director of Under the Same Moon (2007). She partnered up with writer and producer of the film, Ligiah Villabobos, who is also Mexican, to create the film. They both are very passionate about their work and representing the lives of Mexican-Americans in their work. When speaking about the film and her perspective of the mother’s experience in the film she explained that “many of these women, and we see many of them lately, are forced by poverty to make these decisions. To leave their children behind,” (Youtube 2011). 

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SUMMARY

“Single mother Rosario (Kate del Castillo) leaves her young son Carlitos (Adrian Alonso) in the care of his grandmother and illegally crosses the border into the U.S. Though she hopes to eventually make a better life for herself and her son, she toils in a dead-end job as a cleaning lady in Los Angeles. When Carlitos' grandmother passes away some years later, the boy begins a difficult and dangerous journey to join her.” (Google).

A true display in modern cinematic art that illustrates how borders and migration affect the lives of millions in the U.S. and in Mexico, amongst other countries.