Tough, Tough Times, But The Economy Will Prevail. If La Migra Doesn't Get In The Way

The New York Times report on how hospitals are now helping la migra to do the job is one of these stories leave you asking where exactly we lost our minds. It might take some time and some labor shortages (which spells economic loss, for once) to realize this hypocritical approach to the immigration debate won't do but come back to haunt America and its economy. Not to mention millions of U.S. citizens who're losing their parents as a result of the raids.

Funny thing is, we'll always have Hollywood to remind us where, exactly, realistically, the money is. Last night we took our immigrant kids to an almost-empty-thanks-to-the supbrime-telenovela cinema to see Space Chimps--I got napping in the middle of the picture, btw, but they loved it, as opposed to Wall-E, which they hated; but that's another post for a different blog, I guess--and we could get a sneak peek of The Perfect Game, an upcoming movie that could've been perfectly named Under The Same Moon II.



Based on a true story, The Perfect Game tells the story of a group of boys from Monterrey, Mexico, who become the first non-U.S. team to win the Little League World Series. It stars Patricia Manterola and Cheech Marin, among other Latino fixtures.

Unlike La Misma Luna, the low-budget Weinstein-distributed hit that made almost $23 million worldwide and has taken Kate del Castillo from Kate Who? to Hollywood's next Salma-America-Penelope-J.Lo, The Perfect Game was filmed totally in English, but its message is unequivocal: The time to tell stories about Mexicanos becoming The American Dream Hollywood Style has come. Or to say it differently: These Mexican dudes are here to stay and are rapidly becoming a defining force in our economy/politics/society beyond helping Chips & salsa outsell Ketchup and fries, so we better reach out to their pockets/souls.

I hust hope by the time The Perfect Game comes to a theater near you, la migra--or any hospital/local enforcement authority--has not yet deported your way back home. And that is a not-so-perfect game.

ANUNCIO:

Dear all,
From now up until the last day of August, we'll be in the middle of our moving to California to join twenty other outstanding journalists from around the world for the Class 2009 of The John S. Knight Fellowship at Stanford University program, which starts in mid September. It will be a hectic time and I'm not sure I will be able to blog our immigrant odysseys as often as usual. So, in the meantime, please be patient if you come and see four- or five-day old posts. I will resume my blogging rituals once settled in beautiful NorCal.

Mientras tanto, un abrazo a todos y gracias por seguir visitando este changarro migrante.