The New Americans (****)
review by Jon Waterman

This new seven-part documentary series tells the story of five people over four years as they attempt to leave the homes they've known all their lives and start over in the United States. They come from all over the world and land in different cities. A Palestinian woman gets engaged to an American she met on his vacation. Nigerian refugees from the Ogoni tribe escape persecution as they make their new home in Chicago. Two young kids from the Dominican Republic hope to use baseball to gain a better life for their mothers. A Mexican immigrant tries to bring his family north so they can be together again. A man from India attempts to strike it rich in Silicon Valley.

The details of the stories may be different, but the underlying themes are consistent. All of them must deal with families and those that are left behind. All of them must deal with the immense differences in culture. Everything is new to them. Instantly they are bombarded with confusing paperwork. The food is unlike anything they've tasted. They find out how difficult it can be to make ends meet. It is culture shock caught on tape. Not all of them are excited about it, however. Sometimes it's just what has to be done for love or for money or for safety.

The series does a great job of keeping our interest. The kinetic opening titles and the theme song jump-starts each episode, preparing you for the great visuals and fascinating storylines. In fact, sometimes the shots are composed so well, that you may ignore the subtitles. There are plenty of obstacles that come about along the way from visas to schooling to families to health problems. We want to see them succeed. Even though only a short time is spent on each story, we grow with them quickly. The personalities draw us in. We laugh at their silly problems and at the same things they find funny, which really shows the similarities of the entire human race.

Despite being about a potentially touchy issue like immigration, the series isn't really politically charged. There is some in there, since it's unavoidable. Most of the political discussion is about what is going on in their homelands. Even those back home that see the move abroad as a betrayal of their country is essentially glance over. Perceptions of immigrants in the United States become an issue, especially in how the Palestinians are treated after September 11. Largely, though, the movie focuses on how the various people adjust and adapt and become American. Some of the stories bring babies into the world and to me, these are the true new Americans raised by their American families.

The paradox is interesting. Normally those already in the United States move to another town or state whenever it's necessary. Here the instinct is to move out of the country entirely. It's a wonderful study of other cultures and traditions. It teaches us how ignorant we are of what is going on around us, but it does it in such a way to avoid making us look stupid. In the end, I felt there were either too many stories or too few episodes. I'd rather see more episodes to get an even better feel for them. The epilogue is too quick and it would be nice to see more closure.

All the series asks of you is seven hours of your time. This seems like a lot and it can be. I say watch the first episode or two and go from there. Most likely, you'll be hooked and wanting more.

For show times or purchasing information visit http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/index.html

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