Intringulis is by far the piece of work that really explained in detail the plight of an immigrant and how hard it really is to make it here, especially if you are constantly under threat. Carlo took us by the hand and showed us step by step what he went through and spoke about how this whole process tore apart the family, which this transition of countries often does. He gave us actual examples, while other productions that we saw and read were somewhat made up.
Asuncion gave us insight, but from America’s side. It showed us how some people have really terrible preconceptions that really have no logical basis. Though it did refer to immigration, and seemed to discuss it, I found myself not empathizing with Asuncion the way I did Carlo. As for Maria, it gave the example of why people come here and the lengths they go to. Though I did feel bad for Maria, I found myself blaming her for her wrongdoings rather than excusing her for her situation. Do the Right Thing was more about racism than immigration, which didn’t allow me to really connect as much. The same goes for Yellow Face.
During the entirety of Carlo’s play I was sitting in the back crying at every turn of events. I cried because what he was saying was true; you have to pay tons of money for the system to begin to work and then pay more money to keep it in progress. It is application after endless application. The immigration services are the furthest thing from organized you’ll find. They managed to lose the six or so pictures of myself that I sent them over the course of eight years and then decided to print my Greencard with my nine-month-old picture. Really? Is it so difficult for you to keep things in one file? And though I applied for my citizenship three years ago, after my parents have been citizens for at least five more, they send me the interview letter to the wrong address and eight months later tell me that my failure to reply has given them justified reason to deny me my citizenship. *exasperation*
I also cried because of the torn relationships that this process causes. Families are prevented from seeing and knowing each other because no matter how successful you can make it here, if you don’t have the papers, you won’t be able to get back into the country. And it was already so difficult to make it that no one would ever risk leaving and not coming back. I left my extended family as an infant and came back a twelve year old. Until our first visit in 2006, my cousins had never met my younger brother. We were outsiders while they were actually family. I missed out on the chance to have close older siblings, people I can rely on and trust. In America I am the oldest of the children in all the family gatherings, making me the responsible adult, never the simple child.
I cried because Carlo chose such perfect songs, songs that readily communicated the corruption and the sorrow that he saw. There was one that was especially sarcastic, proving its point all the more and making me laugh at its wit. They provided a beautiful tune, well, the ones he wasn’t screaming in. If I were more educated in music of the 70’s and 80’s I would have understood the references he was making with them. Music is a powerful language, connecting all people, and each song hit me with more force than the last.
It’s usually the case that I enjoy entertainment that can get a reaction out of me, so this play was no exception. The difference is that Intringulis in its simplicity made an impact, completely blowing my expectations, so now I’ll never forget it.
