I Forgot How to Speak Spanish (2018)

"La Babosa begins to experience a surreal backdrop and disturbing tour of her home in Junction Boulevard, Queens, NY."

Junction Boulevard is a neighborhood in Queens, New York consisting of locals and migrants from different Latin countries. Many migrants have come namely the island nation of the Dominican Republic. It is a place where several mothers run the dynamics, while men lay around with their Brugal bottles, listening to music from the island and playing dominos. Almost everyone talks fondly about “back in the day.” Under Trump’s administration and new immigration policies, the population here has become more vulnerable, under a gaze that subjects them to stereotype.

La Babosa, otherwise known as “Cry Baby,” is a second generation Dominican-American confronted with anxieties about her own identity. Anxieties relevant for many second-generation immigrant descendants existing in cross-cultural experiences. Living in Trump’s America, La Babosa begins to question the meaning of “home.” What does home mean when the U.S. paints a generalised, clichéd impression of communities like Junction Boulevard? What happens when La Babosa equivalently stereotypes a community which has nurtured and helped mould her identity?

A film by Sydney Rahimtoola

Edited by Saffia Rahimtoola

Cinematography by Frisly Soberanis