Hello, again my benevolent classmates! Today I want to focus upon the movie, ‘Maria Full of Grace,’ for it had the most profound impact on me in the Immigrant Unit. After viewing ‘Maria Full of Grace,’ the many hardships individuals, such as Maria, have to face in their daily lives to earn a decent living became elucidated for me. While I feel that Maria’s involvement in the drug business was morally wrong, I thought her intentions were pure. The perpetual conflicts Maria had to confront, whether it had to do with her family, boyfriend, or job, made me sympathize with her. Even at such a young age, Maria dealt with such difficult times and manifests to us the importance of stability in life. At age 17, Maria had to support her mother and her unemployed sister (and let’s not forget her sister’s child), while simultaneously managing her own life. Due to all these troublesome circumstances Maria, unfortunately, became part of an illegal drug business. I simply cannot imagine the unpleasant events Maria had to endure myself at such a youthful age. In fact, if I were in Maria’s place I would have no idea what to do. I would’ve probably stuck to doing the grueling work in the flower shop (and yes facing the acrid remarks of the boss), rather than swallowing lethal drugs down my esophagus.
Essentially, this movie was an eye-opener because it illustrated the extents people could go to just to acquire money to support themselves. Maria was practically sacrificing her life smuggling drugs to New York, even when she was carrying a child in her womb! Not once did Maria think how her actions would affect her unborn child. However, this again relates to the unrelenting, quotidian problems immigrants, like Maria had to face. It hurts me to see an adolescent, such as Maria, to contain drugs in her stomach and travel to a foreign place to obtain money. Fortunately, Maria learns that what she’s doing was wrong after witnessing her friend pass away. I believe that Maria made the right decision to remain in New York and did not get involved in the smuggling business again. Maria knew a place as grand as New York was bound to have opportunities for her and her child. Nevertheless, I felt that the ending of the movie was a cliffhanger, because Maria made it to New York, but as an illegal immigrant… (deportation!) Who knows what problems innocent Maria may have to deal with in the future, especially when she is expecting a child. Her family will be worried sick about her whereabouts.
In my opinion, I feel Maria surrendered too hastily and formulated the wrong choice by becoming part of a despicable scandal. I wished that Maria thought more rationally and tried to resolve things with her sister, rather than always arguing with her. I know it’s easier said than done, but maybe circumstances would have been more fruitful in the end. The important thing I felt was this film made its point about the many difficulties illegal immigrants had to face and how these difficulties can lead individuals into undesirable situations. The message of the movie was definitely poignant and made me realize even further that everyone does not have an easy way of life. Moreover, the film made lucid the harsh realities of immigrants through the scene of them being thoroughly frisked at the airport.
Honestly, no matter how many times I repeat this, it’s not sufficient: I wished that Maria displayed the same sense of rationality she had done with Blanca when making her decision to join partake in smuggling drugs to the United States. I fully comprehend that life was tough for Maria, but she could have done better I felt. Then again, sometimes desperate situations call for desperate measures…
