Under the Same Moon was a very touching film and very relevent to the topic of cultural diversity. It seemed as though Rosario had a few different reasons for leaving Carliots in his grandmothers care as she left for the states. One could quickly assume that she appeared to want to make a better life for only herself, but after finishing the movie, and seeing how quickly she was willing to return when she felt that Carlitos needed her, it was obvious that she was trying to make a better life for both of them.
I believe that the decision was a very difficult one for Rosario to make. She made the decision with the best interest of her family in mind. It was obvious that this was very hard for her to do. She was going to marry a man simply to gain citizenship for her and Carlitos. She thought of Carlitos in almost every scene and it seemed to be very upsetting for her even years later. When she called him on the pay phone in the beginning of the movie, she became very emotional when it was clear to her how much Carlitos missed her.
Carlitos had to grow up very fast living away from his mother. He was left to take care of his sick grandmother and raise himself. He had to work at a young age and kind of be the "man" of the family. Rosario also had problems living so far away from her son. Like any mother who loves their child, she missed him deeply and lived with that decision to leave him every day. She spoke several times of wanting to go home to be with him.
I do believe that a mother in the United States would make the same decision to better the life of their child. It is kind of the same context as giving a child up for adoption. It takes a very un-selfish person to make such a kind hearted decision to better the life of a child in the means of giving them up. I personally do not know how it would feel to be away from my child for years, or a lifetime, but I could only imagine that I too would have that decision on my mind every day.
I agree in that Under the Same Moon seemed to give viewers a great depiction of cultural diversity in Spanish speaking individuals, more specifically those from Mexico. We learned about the significance of murals in Hispanic culture as well as the sport of soccer and the strong Catholic values (from the scene where Carlitos prays in the car).
ReplyDeleteI do see how a viewer could jump to the assumption that Rosario left Carlitos with only herself in mind, but as you watch the movie you quickly see that it was a very difficult decision for her to make. Especially when she considered marrying Paco after only two days!
The fact that Carlitos is forced to grow up so quickly at such a young age after his mother left was very insightful to how their culture differs from ours. To be nine years old and have the responsibility of working a job and taking care of your grandmother seems like an awful lot.
Thank you for the post Erin. I agree that Carlitos maturity at such a you age is very admirable.
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