on’t necessarily get ahead in America. The second disturbing trend has been the frequent deportation of Dominican nationals from the U.S., most of them criminals involved in drug-related felonies. By June 8, 2000, already 750 deportations of criminals had taken place for the year 2000 . The negative press contributes to the disillusionment of potential immigrants by showing them that New York is not only dangerous, but corrupting as well. Arguably, Luisito Marti has provided more effective material to alter the political debate surrounding immigration than the Dominican press. He played the role of Balbuena for over 10 years on television and in two full-length films. By becoming the icon of every Dominican determined to better his or her economic position through immigration, Marti’s onscreen character was able to show large audiences the true Nueba Yol and the sad state of the America Dream. Common Dominicans could watch TV and relate to the Balbuena they had grown to know and trust. When Balbuena was rumored to have reached Nueba Yol in his first film, many Dominicans made their first trip to a theater to see the outcome. They turned out in droves to the showings of Nueba Yol. The New York Times judged it “a smash hit” in the Dominican Republic where it broke box-office records. The Los Angeles Times notes that even in New York, “the movie out-grossed all the other English-language films showing at the same theater.” There is no way to know what effect, if any, Nueba Yol can have on someone deluded by the myth of the American Dream. Watching a film and internalizing its message are two different things. Even so, Luisito Marti’s contribution to reformation of the Dominican immigration culture lies in his accurate portrayal of the harsh realities and unexpected obstacles Dominican immigrants face in New York. Unfortunately, the film glorifies Balbuena’s illegal passage to New York enoug...
