The New Americans - Episode 6
54m
Directed by Laura Angelica Simon • Documentary • 2003 • 55 minutes
On an H1-B visa in the U.S., Anjan Bacchu easily finds employment during the dot.com boom, often working for 16 to 18 hours a day. Since Harshini’s visa does not allow her to work, she fills her days with taking care of the apartment and shopping, a lifestyle that depresses her.
In Garden City, Kansas, all the children of the Flores Family are allowed to enroll in high school and do very well. But Pedro’s wife, Ventura, so misses her home and extended family that the family makes the difficult decision to leave Kansas for migrant work in Mecca, California, where they can live with Ventura’s sister and family.
We also continue to follow Ricardo Rodríguez on his route to the major leagues.
In Chicago, we see that Hatem Abudayyeh’s very American belief that protesting and speaking out can make a difference clashes with Naima’s feelings of hopelessness. And the comfort she takes in her religion is at odds with his secular political beliefs.