[ad_1]
NEW YORK — June is Nationwide Immigration Heritage Month. And because it shines a light-weight on the struggles of undocumented immigrants within the U.S., an off-Broadway musical is doing the identical. It humanizes the subject by specializing in a younger dreamer turned political activist.
CBS2’s Dave Carlin spoke to him, and the actor enjoying him on stage.
In “Americano!”, actor Sean Ewing performs Tony Valdovinos, whose dream of turning into a Marine dated to when he was a sixth grader in Arizona on 9/11. On the finish of highschool, it was a dream denied.
“I wished to serve this nation, and it’s extremely robust for me to be thrown into the pool of politics at 17,” Valdovinos mentioned.
A Marine recruiter mentioned he couldn’t serve, and solely then did he be taught his dad and mom by no means instructed him he was born in Mexico, and that he was an undocumented immigrant.
“On this musical, proper up there on stage, are among the hardest moments of your life,” Carlin mentioned.
“I might let you know I’ve watched it only a few instances as a result of it’s extremely robust to relapse into these recollections the place hope was completely gone,” Valdovinos mentioned.
He stayed in the one nation he ever knew via the federal government’s “Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals,” or DACA, and he started working in politics, tirelessly pushing the DREAM Act. It by no means handed into legislation.
Over time, he offered key help for a lot of profitable campaigns.
“And what I believed was going to be my lifetime of serving within the Marines turned out to be now nearly 13 years of political work, and I’ve helped elect two Marines, one in every of them to Congress,” Valdovinos mentioned. “Having an organization that could be a consulting firm.”
“That is Nationwide Immigration Heritage Month. Discuss to us in regards to the significance of that,” Carlin requested.
“This month is a really thrilling month to be celebrating, however finally there’s a number of work to be performed,” Valdovinos mentioned.
“Tony, to me, he’s actually an idol. I feel with all of the struggles he is had in his life, even nonetheless as we speak, having his personal firm… is one thing that I’ve an I’ve an excessive respect for,” Ewing mentioned.
“Americano!” at New World phases winds up its run June 19.
[ad_2]
Source link