Join the Dance
This week’s featured film, Old Immigrant’s Dance or Danza del Viejo Immigrante (a.k.a. “Danza”) wades into the turbulent waters of the current debate on illegal immigration and comprehensive immigration reform. Set in the 30 Street Senior Center against the backdrop of San Francisco (a city settled by immigrants), Danza looks at the unique challenges and opportunities facing elderly immigrants in the United States. It is also a film infused with the passion of dance, moments of enduring sweetness, and the compelling stories of sacrifice and devotion of four families.
Charlene Music is uniquely qualified to provide a lens into this topic. After studying photography and film at Harvard and earning an MFA at Stanford, the courageous Costa Rican-American worked as a filmmaker in India producing domestic violence prevention films, and in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the US collaborating on projects with children and women in both rural and urban communities. But as comfortable as she is travelling the globe, her strength as a filmmaker comes through the very personal and intimate ways she captures the stories of her subjects. In Danza, Charlene puts a human face on the longstanding and divisive debate about immigration reform.
There are an estimated 11 to 12 million immigrants currently living in the United States without the proper documentation. Initiatives to remedy this crisis have led to polarization and name calling in which opponents have often misrepresented each other’s positions. There appears to be a new bipartisan effort to create comprehensive immigration reform. The current debate has included the proposal to create a path toward citizenship that will require these illegal immigrants to pay a fine and any back taxes, learn English, and “go to the back of the line”. On the surface this sounds like a reasonable approach, but it is estimated that there are currently 4 million people already waiting “in line”. What is often lost in the discussion about immigration reform are the unique stories of each person waiting in this line.
I have recently joined an effort in my home state of Colorado to change the tone of this discussion at the local, statewide and national level. It is a broad coalition of people from the faith community, law enforcement, political arena, and business community seeking a just and compassionate fix to our broken immigration system. See www.coloradocompact.com and the “I Was a Stranger” campaign of the Evangelical Immigration Table. http://evangelicalimmigrationtable.com/iwasastranger/ Members of the faith community are taking another look at this issue through the expansive list of biblical passages that shape their views on how to treat the immigrant/stranger in our midst.
Beneath the surface the country is still deeply divided over the solutions and the stereotypes and name-calling persist. This problem will require our best efforts to find political and economic solutions to address a complex range of issues. At the same time each of us can change the divisive rhetoric surrounding the issue by focusing on the personal stories of some of the actual individuals who make up the millions of new immigrants in this country. The narratives that guide our understanding of individual immigrants shape our views on the issue of immigration reform.
In Danza, Charlene tells several stories that illustrate the challenges faced by those who are already eligible for naturalization. These immigrants would like to pursue a path toward legalization, but a lack of English fluency hampers their ability to access the services needed to complete this process. Many of us who are already citizens throw up our hands when dealing with the inefficient wheels of government bureaucracy. These immigrants face enormous challenges as they struggle to navigate these complex and confusing systems.
Charlene’s strength as a filmmaker comes through her intimate focus on the main characters in her documentary. Danza presents the challenges faced by a grandmother raising her 7 year-old grandson, the story of a 69-year-old housekeeper’s dogged pursuit to gain citizenship, a widowed couple that has found love again late in life, and a 98-year-old widow still full of life who prays for two more birthdays. Together, they tell a larger story of the challenges and opportunities facing elderly immigrants living in the United States. But they also represent universal themes that transcend the issue of immigration. Themes of religious faith, second chances, a deep sense of patriotism, and the hard work and sacrifices family members make so that the next generation can pursue the American Dream.
These universal themes provide the heart and soul of this inspiring film. In Danza, there are numerous scenes of people dancing – merengue, waltz, even Pulp Fiction. Emma, the 79-year old housekeeper suggests that Latinos carry music in their blood. This music is responsible for their resiliency and optimism and breathes life into their vibrant culture. Danza is a universal story that will touch the hearts and captivate the imagination of a broad audience. And in the end it is an invitation – to join the Dance!
24815 
123 
