I must admit that I was very pleasantly surprised after seeing Carlo’s performance at the Intar. Not only was it very entertaining and creatively put together, but it spoke about a message that is very prevalent in today’s world. I think what made it all the more touching was that it was a very personal experience that allowed us to see into the various aspects of the life of an immigrant.
Before Carlo’s performance, I had many misinformed pre-notations about undocumented immigrants. I have known my share of people that are in this country illegally, but I did not realize how much money goes into staying in this country. Fake green cards, fake social security cards, fake birth certificates. All of which wouldn’t have to exist if it weren’t so difficult to obtain citizenship in this country. The notion that shocked me the most was that once an immigrant has all these fake documents, he or she pays taxes using the social security number provided, yet never can reclaim that money during income tax. I don’t know how many of you have filed your taxes on your own yet, but I’ve been doing it for the last 3 years, and I can say that income tax season is one of my favorite times of the year. I can’t imagine contributing all that money in taxes and getting NONE of it back. Especially once I retire and will rely on social security checks to supplement my retirement fund.
Throughout the performance, I felt strong sympathy for Carlo’s eldest brother who was left behind in Ecuador. I understand that it must have been a difficult decision for Carlo’s parents being that he was over 21 and wouldn’t be able to obtain citizenship with the family, but I can’t imagine how he must have felt. I get upset when someone close to me forgets something stupid like my birthday, what if they seemingly forgot of my existence and moved on with their lives. I found it sweet that he learned some English so he could tell his younger brother in America that he missed him, and essentially teach his brother what it as to miss someone.
Overall, this performance left me with a very different view on immigration, and I’m glad the NY Times decided to give it the review it deserves. I’d be interested to see a future play from his brother’s point of view.
