The film A DARING JOURNEY: From Immigration to Education documents three stories of people who risked their lives to cross the border from Mexico, to fulfill their dreams. The film begins with each giving a vivid description of the journey coming here, then describing their struggles to earn a living in the shadows of our immigration system. Each of them goes on to pursue education, Luis and Sergio for themselves and Ruben Sr. and his wife Janet for their son. They all share the goal of wanting to make a contribution to their new country. Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman was inspired to make this film while shopping for groceries in Ruben Sr.'s market. One day he greeted her with this news, "My son is going to college!" She asked, "Where is he going?" Ruben answered, "Vassar." Dorothy said, "What a small world, our daughter graduated from Vassar!" She knew then and there that this family's story would make a provocative documentary. Ruben Sr. and his wife, Janet, had arrived with no education, and now their son was off to a private highly-ranked college. Over the next five years, Dorothy documented Ruben Jr.'s educational journey – from Eastside College Preparatory, a school for under-represented populations in East Palo Alto, CA, through his college graduation. While filming she met the other two interviewees: Luis, a published poet who works full-time as a waiter while getting a Master's degree from San Francisco State, and Sergio, who became the first undocumented person to be licensed to practice the law in the USA. What impressed her about all of these people was that they share an appreciation for the importance of education in being able to participate, actively, in their new country while building a better life.
WHY is this film important: There are approximately 12 million undocumented people living in the United States. Half of these individuals are Mexican. These three stories present a microcosm of the realities that many immigrants experience once they arrive in the United States: of working hard to survive without legal status and going on to pursue education so they and their children are able to address the challenges in their futures with better tools and more options.
DIRECTOR/CO-PRODUCER: OSCAR-nominated, EMMY-winning filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman
NARRATOR: María Marroquín, Executive Director of the Day Worker Center of Mountain View. CONCENTRIC MEDIA is an independent media production company. Our films document stories of individuals and communities working toward social justice, human rights, and personal growth. All of our films can be viewed and downloaded FREE.