The film My American Girls: A Dominican Story delves into the lives of two immigrants from the Dominican Republic and their three daughters, Monica, Aida, and Mayra Ortiz, who are growing up in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, in the late 1990’s. Each daughter stands apart as an individual, with different attitudes and approaches to life.
Monica, the eldest of three girls, comes to closest to achieving a version of the “American Dream,” in terms of education, her lifestyle, and the people she associates with. Despite having to struggle in search of a quiet place to study, Monica was able to achieve an enormous victory: admission to the highly competitive Colombia University—a school that even non-first generation students, with better opportunities, are routinely rejected from. With a degree and a job (first as a website designer, then as an actress) that produced an income that sustained an adequate lifestyle, Monica appeared well on her way to achieving the American Dream—if not only from an immigrant perspective.
However, the most telling aspect of Monica’s success lies not in her education and lifestyle, but in whom she associated with. Throughout the film, Monica reiterated that she came to associate with the white demographic after attending so many years of private school; the majority of her friends were white, as was her boyfriend. Though there are varied definitions of the “American Dream,” many include assimilation to mainstream society as cornerstone of achieving the Dream. Though the five boroughs, including Brooklyn itself, are diverse, it can be argued that the upper stratum of society is disproportionately composed of whites. By assimilating with whites and otherwise upwardly mobile individuals, Monica gained acceptance as an American.
Aida and Mayra, by contrast, experienced life as the children of two immigrants quite differently from Monica. Seemingly lacking Monica’s ambition and drive, the other Ortiz sisters struggled to cope with various aspects of life. Aida, well aware of her parents’ struggle to make ends meet, was motivated enough to go to classes and make a sincere effort in furthering her education; she even temporarily held down a job at a fast food chain to make some extra money. However, Aida seemed content with doing the minimum required to get by. Aida’s identity as an American resembles those who utilize the resources offered to them (i.e. education, ability to get a job), but do not fully capitalize on said resources—perhaps leaving them with a blue-collar job, at best.
Mayra is the polar opposite of Monica—she is rebellious in every sense of the word and disregards the pleas of her parents to work hard in school and limit time spent socializing with friends and family. Failing multiple classes, Mayra represents the American-born child of immigrants that does not take advantage of the opportunities offered to her. She is young and naïve; and has yet to acknowledge her parents’ suffering for her benefit. She, like her sister Aida, identifies more with Dominican and Hispanic culture; her failure to even attempt to assimilate to American society is reflected in her rebellious behavior.
This film left me with many questions, specifically regarding Monica. After experiencing so much success in Colombia U, and securing the dream of so many students (i.e. a well-paying job as a web designer) why did she decide to give it all up to pursue acting? Could her decision have anything to do with the expectations of her culture? Is education not as emphasized in Hispanic culture? Are the expectations more to “follow your dream,” and actively pursue what makes you happy, rather than a more “practical,” secure job, such as a computer programmer, as Monica was before?
