The movie Mi Familia tells the story of a Mexican family, the Sanchez, who immigrated to the United States. The plot revolves around three generations and how each character assimilates into American society. The film depicts the cultural differences between the Latino population and other residents of Los Angeles. Therefore, despite the relatively light narration, Mi Familia touches on essential issues many immigrants face.
Almost all the characters in the film have internal conflicts related to their ethnicity and new living conditions. For example, the first generation of Sanchez, José and Maria, try to preserve Mexican traditions and culture as much as possible while trying to achieve the American dream. Their son Chucho is trying to show his superiority over the Americans by participating in a gang. Jimmy, having survived the death of his brother, refuses to dance Latino dances, which are a significant part of the culture. After receiving a law degree, Memo is too much assimilated into American society and even says he is “Bill” in America.
While many of the issues the characters face are caused by social prejudice, there are a few ways to reduce the mental health damage that is almost inevitable with immigration. Tannenbaum and Har (2020) note the importance of using the mother tongue in cognitive-behavioral therapy, so communicating in Spanish within the family would help avoid cognitive dissonance during immigration. Moreover, Liu et al. (2019) note that one of the most critical skills for immigrants is the ability to distinguish their culture from the culture of the country to which they immigrate. This approach will help maintain a balance between one’s ethnic heritage and the new society and help avoid the problem of not accepting one’s ethnicity.
Thus, the film demonstrates the apparent issues of acculturation and assimilation that the characters face. However, trying to adapt to life in American society, the characters in the film go to extremes. With each generation, the Sanchez have less and less connection to their cultural heritage. Some characters, trying to be on par with the Americans, confirm social stereotypes about Latino immigrants in America. At the same time, others renounce their ethnicity and culture to become part of society.
References
Liu, W. M., Liu, R. Z., Garrison, Y. L., Kim, J. Y. C., Chan, L., Ho, Y. C. S., & Yeung, C. W. (2019). Racial trauma, microaggressions, and becoming racially innocuous: The role of acculturation and White supremacist ideology. American Psychologist, 74(1), 143–155. Web.
Nava, G. (1995). Mi Familia [My family] [Film]. American Playhouse, American Zoetrope, Majestic Films International, & Newcomb Productions.
Tannenbaum, M., & Har, E. (2020). Beyond basic communication: The role of the mother tongue in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). International Journal of Bilingualism, 24(4), 881-892. Web.