Happy Wednesday Everybody!
One would think the physical aspect of immigrating to America was the most difficult aspect of the process, I mean once you’re in America, you’re set, right? WRONG. 🙁
Unfortunately, there are several more obstacles that these individuals face. As these films and readings illustrate, being in America doesn’t mean you’re American. At one point in West Side Story, Bernardo says, “…we came in like children, believing, trusting…” this exemplifies how Bernardo and the rest of his friends and family, entered in America thinking they would be welcomed, accepted, assimilated, treated as an American. Similarly, Caryl Phillips repeats the line, “sinking hopeful roots into difficult soil” often throughout her work, Crossing the River. Here, Phillips is trying to say that many immigrants come to America with such high hopes and expectations (hopeful roots). These hopeful roots ‘sink’ into the “difficult soil” of America, full of all these prejudices and forces that prevent them from fully being assimilated and accepted.
Brother from Another Planet is very interesting because to me, it seemed the science-fiction aspect of the film, the fact that Brother was an alien actually allowed the character to be assimilated and become what Guerero describes as a “model minority.” His alien nature and psychic abilities allowed him to interact with various individuals of all different races and backgrounds. This feat is even more impressive when one considers the fact that Brother could not speak, an ingenious choice by the director.
Naturally, he was accepted by his fellow African-Americans but he was also accepted by the Latin-American who worked in that arcade, the owner of the arcade (this was only due to the fact that Brother could fix his games, something that appealed to the capitalist owner), the girl who was playing at the arcade, the two men who ended up in Harlem by accident, etc. I think the director wanted to show that sometimes having the ability to talk and communicate with one another is what actually creates the divisions of racism and prejudices that prevent assimilation.
Brother made all these connections with so many different people and he couldn’t utter a single word. In West Side Story all the characters could talk, better yet, they could spontaneously break out into song! Yet the racial barriers were evident from the first few minutes of the film. With communication comes connection, but also disconnection as racism, hate, etc. creep in and corrupt what could be a positive and unifying force.
In West Side Story, one pivotal scene that portrays these boundaries is when the Puerto Ricans sing and dance the song “America.” Anita and the women represent immigrants who embrace America and the opportunities one can find here. Bernardo and the men however, represent the immigrants who see the boundaries that prevent them from being assimilated and consequently, hate America.
This scene was great because each side would defend their views by bringing up different points and each of these points were complimented by the dance that accompanied the song. For instance, one point Bernardo and the guys brought up was the notion that you can have some things in America that is if you can fight in America. As they sung these words they pretended to kick and punch one another.
Anita and Maria are the two most interesting characters for me because they start the film with their heads in the clouds and not practical, like Bernardo. They don’t see the boundaries or the hate that is at the heart of the feud between the Jets and the Sharks. But after the rumble, everything changes. When Anita goes to find Tony and tell him that Maria is coming, the rest of the Jets harass her in such a disgusting, vulgar manner that it pushes her over the edge. The Anita that loved America was gone at this point, she was angry and full of hate, so much so that she told the Jets that Chino killed Maria. Similarly, when Chino murders Tony and she takes the gun she says “I can kill now, because I hate now!”
On a more whimsical note, there are two big things I took from these films. First, in Brother from Another Planet, I loved the old man in the bar so much that I’m going to start randomly saying “Diagnosis!” Second, when I was watching West Side Story I paused the movie and ran around my house because I couldn’t believe that the songs “America” and “Pretty” were from this movie. It was mind blowing.
Diagnosis!
I warned you.
