For Hispanic Heritage Month, Latinx Student Alliance (LSA) collaborated with Campus Activities Council (CAC) to show “Under the Same Moon.” This 2007 film follows Carlitos, a young boy crossing the US-Mexico border to find his mom in Los Angeles after his grandmother passed away. With an amazing soundtrack and a well-rounded mix of humor and seriousness, there’s a lot to love about the film. My favorite part of it, though, was its accurate portrayal of the struggle Hispanish immigrants go through when crossing over and living in the United States.
As both the daughter of a Mexican immigrant and a member of a largely Hispanic community, I’ve grown up hearing stories of people going through the same struggles Carlitos, his mom, and the rest of the cast endured on their journey to and in the States.
Of the entire film, the scene that stuck with me the most happened between Carlitos’ mom, Rosario, and her boss.
Despite doing everything asked of her, Rosario gets fired from her house cleaning job by her employer, a wealthy white woman. Her reasoning was unjust. She simply wanted to “try someone new” and felt Rosario didn’t need the job because she already had another. Her boss then taunts her for being an “illegal,” unable to call the police for help.
This scene made my blood boil. It accurately portrays the lack of understanding many immigrants face from those who have never been in their shoes. Many don’t understand the tough conditions immigrant parents have to go through when caring for their family, especially when undocumented. Rosario needs this second job to support her loved ones back home. Her one job isn’t enough and, given her status, she has few jobs to choose from.
Aside from this scene, I also appreciated the film’s inclusion of coyotes–those who smuggle immigrants across the border–marrying out of necessity for legal status, and working dangerous and physically draining jobs for little pay. The inclusion of these factors both allow for Hispanic families to feel seen in the obstacles they’ve faced and exposes those who have never gone through these struggles to get a glimpse of what so many families do to have a better life.
I’d recommend this film to viewers who fit either of these two categories. Just be warned, I and many others didn’t find the ending very visually fulfilling.
