OVALDEZ100

Oliver Valdez

Prof. Blackman Richards

Eng.120

4/04/09

                     "The Incredible bond found between a mother and her son"

      The film " Under The Same Moon" exemplifies many of the conflicts that an illegal immigrant goes through while trying to cross the border into the United States and while living in the United States. Also, this film teaches us of the great bond that exist between a mother and her son. In the film, nine year old Carlitos has grown very desperate to see his mom, Rosario, who came into the United States illegally four years ago. Carlitos believes that his beloved mother has forgotten and wants to cross the border illegally to come to Los Angeles and find his mother . Carlitos goes on an extraordinary journey to find his mother, and through out he learns more about the life of an illegal immigrant and the special bond that he shares with his mom.

        After his grandmother passed way , he felt it wasn't necessary to stay In Mexico and wanted a way to cross the border to go find his mother. After he crossed the border with help of the Chicanos he had met earlier in the film, he had made his way to Phoenix, Arizona. Now that he was on the other side of the border and no one was around to help him, he tried to take matter into his own hands. While at a bus station in Phoenix, he found out he had lost his money ,and had to find a way to reach Los Angeles before Sunday morning. After nearly getting sold to a local pimp and almost being captured by the Immigration and Customs Enforcements, Carlitos took the first step in to resolving his problems. He followed Enrique , an illegal immigrant Carlitos met at the tomato picking job before the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid began at work.

        Carlitos and Enrique traveled together to Tucson, Arizona, where they started to work and where Carlitos met Oscar, the father whom he never met. His father then ditched him for the second time and starts thinking if his mother was doing the same but Carlitos relied on the moon, which was the only essential symbol he felt that connected them. I personally think that was very symbolic in this film because that was the only essential connection that Carlitos shared with his mother since she left four years ago as well. During their ride on the bus to Los Angeles, Enrique told Carlitos clearly why Rosario had crossed the border, which I think gave Carlitos more knowledge about his mother's great love for him, which he doubted back in Mexico. At the beginning Enrique was very nasty to Carlitos, but at the end sacrifices his stay in the other side of the border to help Carlitos reunite with his mother.

      This film was not like no other that I've seen before. This film not only shows what an ordinary illegal immigrant goes through, but more important that all, the special bond that exist between a mother and her son. I think Carlitos' decision to follow Enrique was a smart idea because he probably figured out that he couldn't make it alone into Los Angeles after what happened in Phoenix. Through out his journey with Enrique, Carlitos learned more about life and the love his mother has for him. Thanks to Enrique, who I think was the reason why he solved his internal and essential problems, he got to find his mother, which I think was the best part of the film. I found it impossible at first for a nine year old to cross the border and in top of that find his mother in highly populated Los Angeles, but it goes to show you where the love for your mother takes you.