A Day without a Mexican, 2004 ★★★☆☆

Couple of days back, I saw A Day without a Mexican, part comedy part social commentary movie on the days following the disappearance of all Mexicans from California. If you didn't already know, Hispanics form almost 1/3 the population of California and are the bulk of the workers in California's largest industry, nope not Hollywood but agriculture.

The movie begins by defining certain characters and then moves ahead when all Mexicans have disappeared. All hell breaks loose and even the Senator (now the Governor since the second in command was Hispanic) who earlier didn't favor Hispanic workers in his home is literally wishing for the Mexicans to return. The movie gives out some interesting facts that are rarely known like, although immigrants account for almost $3 billion in welfare payments, they contribute more than $100 billion to the economy. Not a brilliant movie experience but an insightful one nevertheless.

Underlining the issue was the need for labor to do work that "ordinary Americans" either are not willing to do or are simply not qualified to. Right from basic service professions like plumbers, gardeners, fruit collectors, etc. to more professional services like newscasters, Hispanics have assimilated into the social and economic fabric of America and are almost as American as the descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers. Like one of movie line says it best, they are most visible when they are invisible. America has always been the land of immigrants from all over the world; Italians, Irish, Dutch, Germans, Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, and even Indians. They retain their distinct cultural heritage while being part of the so-called American dream. Some immigrated due to economic hardships in their home country, some to escape religious persecution, and many others for a liberated and better standard of living. They each are a integral part of the whole and remove one demographic and the entire region collapses around us.