The immigration system in the United States has been a foundational part of the country since its early days. However, while America once opened its arms to people from all over the world, recent years have seen it close its borders and make life hard for immigrants trying to find a better life. When people face hardships, movies can tell their stories.

The best movies that celebrate immigration in America are not fantasies or silly comedies, although some more serious comedies outline the experience of coming to America. Instead, the best films reflect the diversity and complexity of the immigration experience through the real-life experiences of people who have struggled through it.

10

Born in East L.A. (1987)

An American Citizen Is Deported On Accident By Immigration Authorities

Sometimes, a comedy is what is needed to open up people’s eyes about a very serious issue. The immigration problem is not new to society, and it has long been a persistent issue, particularly in places like California. That is where Born in East L.A. comes into play.

When the film was released in 1987, it was easy for some people to overlook its message. Cheech Marin wrote, directed, and starred in the movie, and coming off a long career as a stoner icon in Cheech & Chong, it was easy to see it all as a giant gag. However, the movie is a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly serious comedy.

Marin plays Rudy Robles, a young American-Mexican born in Los Angeles who is sent to pick up his cousin from work. At that moment, immigration officials raided the factory, and since Rudy had no ID, they arrested and deported him to Mexico, despite being an American citizen.

Stories like this are no longer a joke. They have become a reality in America in 2025. That makes a comedy like this, even with its more over-the-top humor, essential to watch. Even with the gags and jokes, the problem is no laughing matter.

9

Entre Nos (2000)

An Immigrant Mother Of Two Is Left Alone In New York

Released in 2000 and co-directed by Paola Mendoza, Entre nos tells a story about Mendoza’s mother’s arrival in the United States. Her mother (who Mendoza also plays in the movie) is Mariana, a Colombian immigrant who went to New York with her two young daughters to visit her husband. However, he abandons them after they arrive.

She ends up on the streets with her two children and fights to survive, without knowing if they can afford to live from one meal to the next. The film is a strong condemnation of the wealthy in the country, ignoring the plight of the less fortunate. This is an optimistic film about a mother ensuring her family’s survival.

8

Abrazos (2014)

A Documentary About Children Of Undocumented Parents

Abrazos is a 2014 documentary that follows the lives of 14 United States citizens, who also happen to be children of undocumented parents. The film then follows these children as they travel from the United States to Guatemala to meet their grandparents, and in some cases, siblings they have never met until now.

This is a fascinating documentary because it focuses on how these children, all born in America, have the jus soli grants (birthright citizenship) that their parents don’t possess. The documentary also points out that there are 4.5 million children like these 14 in America, and every day they face the fear of losing their families.

7

Mija (2022)

Documentary Following A Music Manager & Her Undocumented Family

Mija is a documentary by Isabel Castro that follows a young Mexican-American music manager named Doris Muñoz, a woman whose career supports her undocumented family. However, when she loses her biggest client, she has to hustle to find more talent, which turns out to be another daughter of immigrants.

Castro, herself a Mexican-American documentarian, has worked on TV, and this is her movie debut, which she made thanks to the Sundance Labs. What makes Mija work is that Castro makes the film an empathetic story, showing more of the family’s life and making them real people, rather than just another immigrant story.

In addition to Muñoz’s efforts to help turn teenage Jack Haupt into a pop star, the film also delves into the struggles of her family, including their separation from her brother, who was previously deported to Tijuana, Mexico. The ending is a tear-jerker, but this is a movie about hope, not trauma.

6

A Better Life (2011)

An Undocumented Father Tries To Find His Stolen Truck

Released in 2011, Demián Bichir earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Carlos, a single father and undocumented Mexican immigrant gardener living in Los Angeles. When someone steals his truck, Carlos and his teenage son Luis (José Julián) search for it while worrying about deportation. A Better Life follows the father and son for one day in Los Angeles.

They encounter danger on every corner as one of L.A.’s undocumented immigrants. A Better Life shares strong similarities with Vittorio De Sica’s brilliant Italian neorealist drama Bicycle Thieves, widely regarded as one of the greatest films in international cinema history.

Director Chris Weitz (The Twilight Saga: New Moon) ensures to show the parallel between the poor and disenfranchised in Los Angeles and the wealthy suburban residents, and the fact that a police officer ruined this entire family’s life with one traffic stop.

5

Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna) (2007)

The Child Of An Undocumented Mother Crosses The Border To See Her

In Under the Same Moon, Rosario is a single mother who illegally crosses the border into Los Angeles, leaving her son behind, to earn a better living and give him a better life. They talk weekly by phone, but when the boy’s grandmother dies, he leaves on a dangerous journey to get to America to reunite with his mother.

The film flips between the undocumented mother and the son who is trying to cross the border to get to her. While the movie received positive reviews, critics raised concerns that it made the entire journey too sentimental and heartfelt, glossing over the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly dangers posed by U.S. immigration authorities.

4

Birthright (1938)

A Black Harvard Graduate Faces Racism When They Return To Their Hometown

In the 1938 film Birthright, it doesn’t focus on Latinos, but instead focuses on the Black experience in America. The movie tells the story of a Black Harvard graduate who returns to his small hometown in Tennessee with plans to establish a school that will support other Black youths in receiving a similar education.

The film, available to stream on the Criterion Channel, was deemed controversial thanks to its graphic depiction of racism and hatred, even when directed at someone who had proven themselves and came back more educated than most of the people they grew up with.

3

Birthright (1924)

The Silent Film About Racism In Small-Town America

The 1938 movie Birthright is a remake of the 1924 film of the same name. However, the movie is considered a “Lost Film,” meaning no version of it exists anywhere. This original silent film is based on the Thomas Sigismund Stribling novel of the same name.

In this version, J. Jomer Tutt plays Peter Siner, a young Black man who returns to his small hometown in Tennessee after graduating from college. He is considered mixed-race and struggles with racial discrimination in his home as the First World War is about to begin. Director Oscar Micheaux made both versions of the film.

2

Harvest of Empire: The Untold Story of Latinos in America (2012)

Documentary Focusing On American Immigration Patterns

Released in 2012, Harvest of Empire: The Untold Story of Latinos in America is based on the book Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America by Juan Gonzalez. The film focuses on the issues surrounding immigration and the role of the U.S. military and economic interests in Latin American countries.

The movie goes a long way to showing how the United States’ interference in countries like the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala has led to citizens fleeing those countries for the safety of the United States, only to be told they aren’t wanted there.

The documentary also tracks the wars the United States has taken part in that forced colonial expansion into Cuba, Puerto Rico, and most of Mexico. With several interviews and personal stories on display, this is one of the best documentaries that showcases how America is responsible for many people needing to find safety.

1

The Visitor (2007)

A Man Discovers Undocumented Immigrants In His Building

In one of the most famous movies about the immigration experience in America, The Visitor tells the story of a widowed economics professor named Walter (Richard Jenkins in an Oscar-nominated performance) who discovers that a young, unmarried, undocumented couple is living in his Manhattan apartment.

They were tricked into renting it, and Walter allows them to stay. What starts as an awkward confrontation turns into cohabitation and a quiet look at the United States following 9/11, and the fear and hatred that came with that tragedy. What is great is that it chooses not to be sentimental, instead offering a nuanced look at the problematic situation.

This doesn’t have a happy ending, as many immigration stories in real life don’t, but at least in this film, the family is intact in the end when Walter’s new friend ends up deported to Syria without warning and Walter remains alone again, contemplating what life in America really means in today’s society.