Nueba Yol

We saw the movie called "Nueba Yol" and it was about a man named Balbuena. When the movie starts he is living in the Dominican Republic and lives in an old little house that him and his dead wife use to live in. His friend named Federico tells him to go with him to the United States. All he asks of Balbuena is to give him $5,000 and he will get him the fake passport and arrange everything for him to go to the land of opportunity. He is told that there is so much money to make over there and there is countless jobs. He comes here to chase the great American dream.

Q: Did you have any second thoughts about coming to the United States?
A: No, I did not because I was told that there was so much opportunity and that you can make so much money over here.

Q: When you were going through customs with a fake passport did you think you were going to get caught?
A: Yeah I thought I was going to get caught because the guy was taking long while he was looking at my passport. I was nervous and thought I was in a lot of trouble.

Q: What did you feel when you got past customs?
A: I felt relieved because I got past the last obstacle in my way to the U.S. I was in New York and ready to make a lot of money.

Q: When you got hit by that car what was the first thing that came to your mind?
A: Well it is funny because you would think I was worried about the pain but I just noticed the beautiful lady that was driving the car.

Q: So do you think that getting hit was a blessing in disguise?
A: Yeah I would say so because I was able to meet the driver and make my first friend in the U.S.

Q: After you saw all the skyscrapers in New York what did you think?
A: Well to me it smelled like money and the air tasted like money because I just saw myself making tons of money and living in one of those buildings.

Q: After you got to your cousins house and tried to be friendly with your nephews and nieces and the turned you away how did you feel?
A: I knew that eventually they were going to like me so I just forgot about it.

Q: Was it tough getting a job?
A: Yes because I was told that it was so easy but really I could not get a job anywhere.

Q: Why were people not hiring you?
A: When I went to look for a job the people told me that they could not because I did not speak English or had my papers.

Q: If you did not have papers why did you not go and get them?
A: First of all I did not know the city and there was not anybody that could go with me and help me get my papers.

Q: When you finally got a job how did you feel?
A: I felt relieved because now I was making a salary and could get on solid ground and move to my own place.

Q: Your cousin told you that you could stay but you decided to go. Why?
A: I felt like it would be the best idea and to let my cousin's family alone because I think that I caused them problems.

Q: How did you like the place you were moving to?
A: The landlord was nice and although it was not a huge place and it was comfortable and I could get used to living there until we sold the restaurant and I got the money to move back to the Dominican Republic.

Q: How were you going to get money from the sale of the restaurant?
A: I let the owner borrow money and he made me part owner.

Q: Why did you let the owner of the restaurant borrow the money so the restaurant would not close?
A: The guy helped me out and gave me a job when I needed it so I helped him when he needed help.

Q: When the owner sold the restaurant and gave you a big part of it and you had the money to move back to the Dominican Republic how did you feel?
A: I felt good because I was going to be able to buy my old little house back and marry the driver of the car that hit me Nancy.

Q: How did you get to love Nancy?
A: I went to her house and spend a lot of time with her until I slowly began to love her.

Q: Where was Nancy when you got the money?
A: She left before me to the Dominican Republic and was going to wait for me while I got things together.

Q: When you had everything together and had the money to back to the Dominican Republic and got robbed what was your reaction?
A: Well sincerely I thought that I was going to die but I was not going to give up the money you worked hard for.

Q: You found out that it was your friend Felito who robbed you; what did you feel?
A: Honestly, I felt betrayed because he was suppose to be my friend and he would go and do that to me it just broke my hart and really pissed me off.

Q: When you got shot did you think you were going to die?
A: When I felt the bullet hit me in my stomach I thought this was the last of Balbuenas.

Q: When you woke up were you shocked?
A: Well yeah because I was alive and was breathing again. I was relieved and felt great because they did not take my money so the first day I got out of the hospital I bought my plane ticket to the Dominican Republic.

Q: When you got there and went to your dead wife's tomb you told her New York was paradise but it was not. Why did you tell her that?
A: Well I did not want her to be worried so I told her that so she could rest in peace.

This movie just showed how many immigrants have this picture that America is perfect but they are shocked when they get here. Balbuenas thought that everything was going to be so easy but when he got there he found out that in the U.S. you have to work hard just like in every other country. They think that you can get money off trees here but there is a lot of other people that want the same money they want. This movie showed that sometimes you are better off if you stay at the place you are at. So this movie was very good and really showed an account of how tough life is for immigrants.