Born in East L.A.

Rudy is an American of Mexican descent who is caught up in an immigration raid on a factory. Deported to Mexico as an illegal immigrant…

• Director:Cheech Marin
• Genre:Comedy
• Runtime:84 minutes

Cast

Cheech Marin : Rudy
Paul Rodriguez : Javier
Daniel Stern : Jimmy
Kamala Lopez : Dolores
Jan-Michael Vincent: McCalister

The film starts off with Rudy Robles (Marin) in his home in East Los Angeles being told by his mother to pick up his cousin Javier (Paul Rodriguez) in Downtown Los Angeles at a factory before his mother and sister leave for Fresno. Rudy arrives only for a few minutes before the factory is raided by la migra (immigration officials). Rudy is wrongfully accused of being an illegal alien by a crooked immigration officer in a cowboy hat and sunglasses, with a Texas accent. Because he does not have any form of identification with him, and because his mother is out of town and cannot verify that he is a citizen, Rudy is deported to Mexico.

Paradoxically, Rudy cannot speak or understand more than pidgin Spanglish (though he’s fluent in German as a result of several years’ military service enlisted in the US Army based in Germany – USAREUR).

While in Tijuana, Mexico, he befriends ex-con Jimmy (Daniel Stern) and a waitress named Dolores (Kamala Lopez-Dawson). Rudy, with no I.D. and unable to get in contact with his mother, makes numerous failed attempts to cross the border. Jimmy then offers to get him across the border back to Los Angeles for money. Not having his wallet (and therefore no money), he then works for Jimmy as doorman at a strip bar by getting people to come in, while also taking other small jobs like selling oranges, teaching two Central American men and three other immigrants from China to walk and talk like East Los Angeles natives, and making many friends along the way to get back to Los Angeles.

Things progress as he becomes better friends with Jimmy and starts falling in love with Dolores and finally he gets the money needed to be sneaked across the border. Rudy finally receives the money and the night before goes on a date with Dolores. The next day Rudy gives a farewell to Jimmy and gets a last kiss goodbye from Dolores and gets into the back of the Coyote’s truck. He notices the Coyote arguing with a woman pleading to be taken to the United States for free because her husband is already in the truck and the rest of their family is in the United States. The Coyote won’t do it for free so Rudy gets out and gives the woman his place.

Not about to waste more time in Mexico; Rudy stands for the last time on the hill of the Mexico.-U.S. Border while two Immigration Officers sit in their truck watching in laughter. The song “America” by Neil Diamond starts playing as hundreds and hundreds of people appear from Rudy’s side and all charge the fields to reach the American Dream. The two Immigration Officers are no match and hide in their truck. All the while, Rudy, Dolores, and their five friends casually walk in slow motion with their heads up high to America. Read more

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