The Godfather–The Pursuit of the American Dream by an Immigrant Family

Michael Corleone

Statue of Liberty

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Kicking with my big brother, watching the Godfather II and blazing a cohiba while at it. It was a perfect way to decompress on a rainy weekend in the Pacific Northwest. I make it a point to watch the Godfather trilogy at least once a year as it was pivotal in shaping my passage to adulthood. I haven’t seen the movie in the last two years as the pressures of life have prevented me from doing the things I enjoy. Watching it again this weekend gave me an opportunity to reflect and contextualize the movie to contemporary challenges.

The Godfather II is my favorite among the three. Michael Corleone was ruthless, cunning and nefarious. He called everything right except for killing his own brother Fredo. After finding out Fredo had betrayed him to Hyman Roth, I would have shipped him (Fredo) some place faraway to keep him out of the loop but not kill him. I understand why he did but that wouldn’t be my choice – I’d never kill a brother under any circumstances. Nonetheless, Al Pacino played the role masterfully. Tom Hagen was ever so smart, eloquent and witty as Consiglieri of the Corleone family. How he got Frank Pentangeli not to testify at the Senate hearing is still a mystery to me. It’s a testament to his resourcefulness - Robert Duvall gracefully played this key character. And last but not least, my personal favorite; Robert De Niro as Vito Corleone. It was just a delight to watch De Niro speak Italian. Vito’s meteoric rise to become the boss of all paisans in the Bronx was catalyzed by a single action – his assassination of Don Fanucci. He knew how to pick his battles and he hit it hardest when it counted the most. He cleverly outmaneuvered Pete Clemenza and Sal Tessio (who both introduced him to crime) to become their Don. Brilliant!

Vito Corleone arrived on Ellis Island in 1901 when he was 9 years old from Corleone, Sicily. His whole family had been murdered by Don Ciccio, a rival mafia chieftain who was locked in a turf war with Vito’s late father, Antonio Andolini. He came to America at a time when the US had opened its doors to immigrants from Europe. It is widely believed that the derogatory term “wop” (meaning without papers) referred to Italians because unlike the other Europeans, they were required to carry their immigration papers. I’m not sure how true this is but this didn’t deter young Vito from getting on a ship to America at age 9. It is a testament to the bravery, courage, determination, hard work and resourcefulness of many immigrants in pursuit of the American dream.

Let’s contextualize the Corleone family’s story to the struggles of modern day immigrants in particular international students looking for work in the US. From time immemorial, the US has attracted the best and brightest from around the world because it has always opened its doors to talent. According to Simon School – University of Rochester Dean Mark Zupan, the US has always benefited from this open door policy and tends to lose in the long run when its policies become inward looking and protectionist.

Dean Zupan’s comments come at an important time for this country especially as the economy starts to recover from the deepest recession since the Great Depression. Typically the international students that come to the United States are people that are very smart, highly motivated, hardworking, entrepreneurial and willing to take calculated risks. These are traits that are overwhelmingly synonymous with American values. It was these same traits that drove the pilgrims, the Irish, the Jewish, the Italians, etc to come here. The biggest innovations of the past two decades have come from foreigners working in PhD labs in American universities. Protectionism especially of high caliber talent stifles these traits, kills innovation and in the long run America loses. I have never seen the Godfather through these lenses before but there’s no limit to the kind of things this movie opens your eyes to. That’s what makes it an all time classic.

Unless an international student gets extremely lucky, the challenges he has to face to navigate these issues are unimaginable. Under the shadow of student loans from American banks that are almost impossible to defer, the odds are dire. Yet, I’m sure many international students wouldn’t do anything differently in hindsight. After all, it is the ultimate pursuit - the pursuit of the American dream.