Posted on 05/24/2004 4:52:39 PM PDT by chance33_98
Movie Asks: What if Every Latino Vanished from State?
May 21, 2004
Emily Bazar -- Bee Staff Writer
Picture waking up one morning to discover that all of California's Latinos - about a third of the state's population - had suddenly disappeared.
Restaurateurs would have to wash their own dishes, Major League Baseball teams would lose some of their best players and the lieutenant governor would be missing in action.
Those scenarios play out in director Sergio Arau's new film, "A Day Without a Mexican," which opens today in Sacramento.
Arau calls the film a "mockumentary" and employs an outlandish plot to make a serious point: Without the more than 12 million Latinos who live and work in California - originally a part of Mexico - the economy would crumble.
The movie is Arau's first feature-length film. The West Hollywood resident has worked in music and video and is the son of Mexican director Alfonso Arau, best known in the United States for the movie "Like Water for Chocolate."
Sergio Arau, 52, traces the roots of his movie back to 1994 and Proposition 187, the initiative that would have banned public services for illegal immigrants. Though its provisions later were gutted by the courts, it spawned a generalized anti-immigrant sentiment that focused on Mexicans and other Latinos.
Yareli Arizmendi, Arau's wife, co-wrote the screenplay and stars in the film. She hopes state lawmakers will listen to the movie's message, and that moviegoers will recognize the contributions Latinos make to society.
"This is a dialogue opener, to change the terms of the debate," Arizmendi, 40, said. "People fail to stop and think how many people of Latin descent or Latinos you meet in your regular day. It's not like you have to go to the Cinco de Mayo parade. It's day-to-day."
The point was driven home to state Assemblyman Abel Maldonado as he ran his mind over a recent morning's activities.
Arriving at the Capitol on Tuesday, Maldonado watched as he passed the men tending to the park and wielding leaf blowers. They were Latino.
The Santa Maria Republican then went to the Hilton to receive an award. The food servers laying out the buffet were Latino. "If you want to take it another step," he added, "who harvested all the food that was on the buffet table?"
Maldonado is of Mexican descent. Born and raised in Santa Maria on the central coast, he and his family grow broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and celery on 2,000 acres. During peak harvest times, the farm employs about 250 workers - mostly Latino.
The lawmaker said he likes the concept behind the movie and notes that he, himself, would disappear should "a day without a Mexican" ever come to pass.
"Latinos, Hispanics, Mexicans, we come here looking for an opportunity. We don't come here looking for handouts," said Maldonado, who is expected to win a seat in the state Senate in November. "What we don't have in wealth, we make it up with our values."
In the movie, there's no explanation for why Latinos disappear. They just do, as a thick fog surrounds the state's borders, cutting off communication with the outside world.
Without Latinos, the state descends into chaos.
It's a thinly veiled political statement cloaked in humor and hyperbole.
While the film may spur discussion and debate, it likely will have little effect in the political arena, said Eric Smoodin, professor of American and film studies at the University of California, Davis.
"It wouldn't surprise me if you could find some films that helped to establish or inspire a public discourse about things," said Smoodin, referring to movies such as "Erin Brockovich" and "Silkwood."
"But I think you'd be hard-pressed to find an instance when a film, even indirectly, led to some government action."
In addition to Sacramento, the film opens today in parts of the Central Valley and Texas.
It debuted last week in Southern California, promoted by an eyebrow-raising ad campaign that included billboards exclaiming "On May 14th there will be no Mexicans in California."
Glenn Garland, partner and creative director for Eleven-Eleven Advertising in Santa Monica, said billboards are expected to go up in Northern California in the next two weeks. The movie's radio and newspaper advertising started in Sacramento on Thursday.
An ad that is expected to hit Spanish language press will say "Un Día Sin Mexicanos 'La Movie': Los Gringos van a llorar" or "A Day Without a Mexican 'The Movie': Gringos will cry."
The film is opening in Sacramento even before it opens in the Bay Area, a strategy based on a view beyond box office receipts.
(Excerpt) Read more at hispanicbusiness.com ...
A: The Home Depot parking lot would be much emptier every morning.
Very good artic -- WAIT! WAIT!! -- I just noticed the lack of the word "illegal".
We have a Lt. Governor? Where is he? Haven't heard from him in months. He's already missing in action. (Thankfully)
By now these pumped up clowns figure it was they who really built America. Well they sure didn't build much to be proud of in Mexico.
"the state descends into chaos"
This sounds as racist as suggesting that all of the state's problems are due to Mexicans being here.
Well, for starters, there would be a lot of left-coast liberals with filthy houses.
If "Latinos" are the best thing since sliced bread, why do they belittle themselves to serve the interests of everyone but themselves?
The issue is not about eradicating Mexicans, but instead, eradicating ILLEGALS!
Lower crime, cleaner streets, fewer drugs, better medical care, better schools, fewer bums......the list is endless.
Of course, then we'd have to get on with "disappearing" illegal Arab/Muslim terrorist types.
Happens all the time.
Legal or illegal?
Heck, washing dishes was my first high school job in California. I'll never forget getting my first paycheck, to find that something called "FICA" took a good percentage away. I became an instant Republican.
I've been back to the kitchen in that Restaurant. No more high school kids, only Mexicans.
Somehow, Californians managed fairly well without the recent influx.
I think I like this theme.
Ay Carumba!
Yep, but the agenda is to blur those lines.
He's a question for them. What would happen if all US owned business pulled out of California? Even tacos cost money.
Check out both sides of the border and figure that one out illegal lovers.
Lets see they would save money on hospitals that dont get paid, they would save money by closing schools that wouldnt be filled, they would save on Spanish speaking teachers , they would have to give DMV tests in Spanish , most auto accidents would ne insured,and they wouldnt be awakened every morning by the leaf blowers.
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