"Americano!" is Tony Valdovinos' tale of the struggle of undocumented immigrants
NEW YORK -- June is National Immigrant Heritage Month. And as it shines a light on the struggles of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., an off-Broadway musical is doing the same. It humanizes the topic by focusing on a young dreamer turned political activist.
CBS2's Dave Carlin spoke to him, and the actor playing him on stage.
In "Americano!", actor Sean Ewing plays Tony Valdovinos, whose dream of becoming a Marine dated to when he was a sixth grader in Arizona on 9/11. At the end of high school, it was a dream denied.
"I wanted to serve this country, and it's very tough for me to be thrown into the pool of politics at 17," Valdovinos said.
A Marine recruiter said he could not serve, and only then did he learn his parents never told him he was born in Mexico, and that he was an undocumented immigrant.
"In this musical, right up there on stage, are some of the toughest moments of your life," Carlin said.
"I could tell you I have watched it very few times because it's very tough to relapse into those memories where hope was absolutely gone," Valdovinos said.
He stayed in the only country he ever knew through the government's "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals," or DACA, and he got to work in politics, tirelessly pushing the DREAM Act. It never passed into law.
Over the years, he provided key support for many successful campaigns.
"And what I thought was going to be my life of serving in the Marines turned out to be now almost 13 years of political work, and I've helped elect two Marines, one of them to Congress," Valdovinos said. "Having a company that is a consulting company."
"This is National Immigrant Heritage Month. Talk to us about the significance of that," Carlin asked.
"This month is a very exciting month to be celebrating, but ultimately there's a lot of work to be done," Valdovinos said.
"Tony, to me, he is truly an idol. I think with all the struggles he's had in his life, even still today, having his own company... is something that I have an I have an extreme respect for," Ewing said.
"Americano!" at New World stages finishes up its run June 19.