Though many of us born in the U.S.A. take the privilege of living here for granted, an average of *400,000 new immigrants come to this country every year, legally, to work harder than most of us ever have for a chance to achieve their dream of a better life, and one that doesn’t usually include a new BMW, the latest I-phone, a billboard-size flat screen and 12 Billion thread-count sheets. Anis is one of these people.
Shot this 4 years ago and never put it out. Stumbled upon the footage a couple of weeks ago, cut it together and was excited to see how poignant Anis’ story is today.
And so I introduce to a young man who spends 18 hours a day on his feet at “Melrose Metal Mart” selling cigarettes, booze, donuts, soda, bread, beer, chips, hot dogs, sandwiches, postcards, newspapers and dirty magazines, with a smile on his face, to a potpourri of often less-than-savory patrons, and somehow still always finds time to talk life.
Make sure to stick around after the credits for outtakes including the “best weed in the state,” the redneck Jew and a visit from some crackhead con men.
*Although the number of adjustments has greatly varied between 1986 and 2006, the number of new arrivals has remained relatively stable at about 400,000 per year. The Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, published by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS)
