The Visitor

He had to show I.D. to buy soda.

He was a young man who had been working strenuously all day. He walked into a Wal-Mart to purchase a case of soda and a new wallet. When he reached the register, the woman looked him up and down and saw his dark skin, black hair, and silently judged him as he turned to speak to his friend, in Spanish. She instantly searched through the wallet the man wanted to purchase and then, being satisfied that nothing was being stashed away, turned her eyes to the soda. "I'm going to need to see some I.D." The man was skeptical, but obliged without hassle. Far more ruffled, was a woman in line behind this man and his friend. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. When she reached the counter, she asked "Since when do you have to show I.D to buy a case of soda?"

"Oh...I thought it was beer. I had to check."

"Odd...considering you don't sell alcohol here." A contentious look and tense silence followed. As the woman left, she made sure to track down a supervisor and relate what had happened. He was uninterested and why did it matter. As the woman left the store, she saw the young man being taken away simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. His crime? Although he was in the process of following all the rules and doing everything required of him, he was, nonetheless, still in the country illegally.

This true story came back to me after I watched the beautiful and poignant film, The Visitor. The movie stars the impeccable Richard Jenkins (who earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination for this role) and showcases outstanding performances by Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira, and Hiam Abbass. Jenkins is Walter Vale, a college professor (I was pleasantly surprised to recognize Wagner College as the location for which the school scenes took place) and a widower, who is searching in vain for a way to fill the void in his life. He transcends the stereotype of the bitter and jaded teacher who can't get over his personal tragedy. Rather, we meet Walter as he is in limbo; still grieving but trying to move on, bored with the monotony of his life, and searching for his niche, his inspiration. He is just getting by. A paper that he co-authored, sends Walter to New York City and his apartment there. As fate would have it, he meets Tarek and Zainab, a musician and an artist, trying to make their way in the big city. They are a smart, kind, and optimistic couple. Tarek, the son of a journalist and from Syria, plays the djembe and offers to teach Walter how to unleash his inner percussionist. What follows is the subsequent release of new found purpose and connections in Walter's life, and the crashing realization that reality can be cruel and unforgiving for Tarek and his journey. The film is wonderfully executed in a very simple and astute manner that only makes it's conclusion all the more powerful in the end. Jenkins proves that you can reach your audience without any pomp or flash or computer effects (I'm talking to you, Pitt!). He quietly responds to every situation in front of him with a calm and rational demeanor. This build up allows for a heart breaking final sequence that is powerful and musical all at once. I highly recommend this film.

One of the central plot points of The Visitor is how the American system deals with the detention centers in which they keep immigrants (most illegal, some not) while they await a trial many will never see or deportation which can come suddenly and without warning. This is a flawed system. Convicted murderers receive more rights than these people, many who have committed no crimes and were simply contributing positively to our society. A study done by the University of California's Berkeley Institute of Industrial Relations (in 2002...if anyone can find a more recent study, please lead me in that direction) found that immigrants in the United States (legal and not) "provide more to the nation's economy than they use, adding about $10 billion each year to the U.S. gross product and paying at least $133 billion in taxes." Yet we treat these people, these human beings, as if they are a threat or as if they are far from worthy of this country. There is a sense of entitlement in the arguments poised by Americans who want every illegal immigrant found and thrown out, never to be allowed back. "I only care about MY family and MY fellow citizens. I am under no obligation to help these lawbreakers." Never mind that many of them get stuck in the quagmire that is the process of becoming a true United States citizens. Never mind that many of them come here seeking asylum. Sure there are aliens that do commit crimes. There are also millions of US citizens that commit crimes and walk the streets freely. Sure there are workers that send funds outside of America, to their families. There are American companies who cut jobs here for Americans and ship those jobs overseas. We can solve this issue without resorting to treating people inhumanly.

Do not judge, lest you too be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [Matthew 7:1 & 2.]
But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you [Luke 14:13]

Is the symbolism of The Statue of Liberty so easily forgotten and lost?

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me:
I life my lamp beside the golden door.