The 2021 movie In The Heights changed the Broadway story by adding a reference to the United States immigration policy Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). President Barack Obama implemented DACA on June 15, 2012 in an effort to provide more educational and employment opportunities to the children of undocumented immigrants. Before DACA, these same children were at risk for deportation due to their parents’ undocumented status, and DACA extended their ability to remain in the United States. The policy was scaled back under President Donald Trump, however, and became a hot-button political issue over the last few years.
The original Broadway production of In The Heights came out in 2008, before DACA was implemented. Set in the immigrant working-class neighborhood of Washington Heights, the residents of In The Heights are a population for which DACA was made for, especially with the character of Sonny de la Vega (Gregory Diaz IV). While both the Broadway and film versions of In The Heights portray Sonny as being a politically active youth who cares for social justice, the film delves more into Sonny’s family backstory to show how DACA affects it. By doing so, Sonny becomes a more prominent character in the film version than he was in the stage play.
As In The Heights’ writer Quiara Alegría Hudes revealed in an interview with Variety, she included DACA in the film version because “It was extremely painful to see things like family separation happening. These matters affect our community in political, emotional and spiritual ways.” In order to make In The Heights feel relevant in 2021, it needed to address DACA. By updating In The Heights with DACA as a plot point, Hudes makes the story reflect modern times, exploring how immigrant communities continue to be unfairly discriminated against.
In the updated version of In The Heights, after Sonny attends an immigration rights rally, he learns that he is unable to go to college due to his parents’ undocumented status. Like his role model Nina Rosario (Leslie Grace), a young woman who was able to overcome her humble beginnings to study at Stanford, Sonny longs to attend college as well. With DACA in place, Sonny will be able to remain with his family in the United States and have a better chance of going to college. It is for this reason that DACA is such an important subject for In The Heights, as it serves as a symbol of hope for the many immigrant characters in the film.
Like the other characters in In The Heights, Sonny faces obstacles due to his immigration status. DACA will make it easier for him to succeed, but it alone doesn't overcome the systemic issues. It will be interesting to see if the Steven Spielberg version of West Side Story, which also deals with a Latino immigrant community, will incorporate DACA into its plot. The current Biden istration is now doing its part to expand upon DACA by creating more chances for immigrants to thrive in the United States. So, by introducing DACA into its plot as a way for Sonny to achieve his goals, In The Heights offers an optimistic path forward for the myriad immigrant communities living in America.
