Under the same moon/La Misma Luna

I enjoyed the film, Under the Same Moon. The film began with the struggle of a young woman, named Rosario, illegally crossing the Mexican border, obviously risking her life. I was impressed that the film described her family in Mexico and the conflicting "free" life in LA. Rosario left her son Carlitos when he was only 5 years old. Carlitos was left in the care of his loving grandmother. As a mother of four children, I can not imagine what Rosario's life was like in Mexico to leave her own child. I do understand doing whatever it takes and more to create a better life for our children.

Rosario's life in LA was not an easy one, difficult is a better discription. She worked two jobs plus was a seamstress to earn extra money. She lived in a garage. She sent $300.00 to Carlitos' grandmother every month for her son's care. The money was also being saved for a lawyer so this young Mexican woman could someday be an American citizen. Rosario loved her son, this could be seen in her facial expressions and the tears in her eyes, as she called her, now 9 year old, son from a pay phone every Sunday at 10:00 am sharp. The pain a mother must feel in the absence of her child, only to hear his voice, yearning for his touch, his smile, to hold him when he is sad or hurt. The everyday experiences that we take for granted. Rosario forfeited to make a better life for her son.

Carlitos' grandmother was really the only family he had in Mexico. He longed for his mother and dreamed of the day he could be with her. On the Sundays they would talk he would have her describe in detail her surroundings. I believe this was so he could feel closer to his mother, maybe even be able to feel her there with him. Carlitos' grandmother died and the only choice Carlitos could see was to find his mother in LA. Carlitos' journey across the Mexican border was a dangerous one. The young couple that smuggled Carlitos across the border had a difficult choice themselves. They were smuggling immigrants to earn money to pay for their own education so they could have a better life. As the film continued, the description of the struggles of other illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States unfolded. I was heartbroken and angry at the treatment that they had to undergo.

Carlitos witnessed the day to day of work and hiding and the fear of being sent back to Mexico from all those he encountered. The film ended with mother and son being reunited at the phone booth.

I have only seen a little of Mexican life, when I visited. I can not imagine how awful the Mexican life must be to risk my life to cross a border just to work and work and hid and dream of belonging to a country that resists me and may never consider me part of their community. I pray that we as Americans can have empathy on their plight.