Ellis Valdescona April 20, 2019
AAS 113B
Professor Turnmeyer
“America; I Too” ( 2017 ) film directed by: Anike Tourse is a tear jerking, inspirational film about how people here in United States are immigrants from different countries like: Tijuana, Korea and Somalia, Africa. According to CHIRLA.org and was stated in the end of the film, “that 11 million undocumented people live, work, go to school, raise families and contributed to the United States”. It also shows how the immigration california enforcement, also known as “ICE” officers accused a hispanic young teenager, named Manuel Sanchez for vadalizing on the walls, and weed possesion. Manuel got arrested and got put in jail for the false accusations, but in reality he was just writing his name on his artwork that he did for the Los Angeles arts place and did not had any possesion of weed, as he stated in his statement the officer had. Manuel got also accused to be in a gang data base background and had an “outstanding removaler “ back in Harlington, Texas in 2008, which he was mistaken for another unknown person, he stated that he was 9 years old back then and is threatened to get deported back to Tijuana. Another part is where Jin-Kyong, a korean lady and hispanics workers got caught by the ICE. The officers separated the workers who are illegal and legal immigrants with documentation papers for proof. The non-english korean lady that Jin-Kyong helped has a grandchild who is diagnosed with autism and was pleading the officers to let her go home, so she could take care of her. ICE officer Franks, had the heart to help the non-english korean, but she provided an ankle bracelet on her because the program had to monitor the newcomer in order for her to go home to her grandchild.
“It is burning my skin, it is too hot!“ quoted the non-english korean lady.
One of the main characters, Ahmed, an african-american pizza delivery man who got also arrested and was going to get deported back to Somalia, Africa grew up with an abusive father. He shared his childhood story that he would get beaten by his father up to a point where he would end up in the hospital. Then, the courts took him away from his mother, whom passed away years after with attorney Sarah Garcia, who help’s him in applying for a AU-Visa form in order for him to hopefully be free. In the end, Manuel Sanchez was set free from jail and formed a coalition of humane immigrant rights (CHIRLA) group. Manuel and the CHIRLA group is singing to Ahmed “ happy birthday “ and is fightning for his freedom.
Anike Tourse is a Los Angeles based writer, producer and director, who is well known for her best narrative story “America; I Too “, which won The Roxbury International film festivalearly this year (2017). She also played the role as attorney Sarah Gacia in the movie, as well. Anike graduated from Bates College (BC), later on recieved her master degree of fine arts from Ohio State University (OSU). She has written other various film like: “One life to live”, the sitcom series “Girlfriends”, playwright for stage play, “No Milk Today” and has written the screenplay “Valentina”. The director also made an animated short film for a project called, “Frances the fish”.
