From Executive Producer Dolores Huerta:
BACKSTREET TO THE AMERICAN DREAM is a modern-day look at the classic American Dream, and it’s done through the quintessential 21st Century entrepreneurial endeavor - food trucks! This deep dive into the birthplace of the global phenomenon, Los Angeles, profiles two trucks and juxtaposes the experiences of American entrepreneurs and Mexican immigrants. Indeed, these are very different operations in the same city: the gourmet burger truck, Grill 'Em All, is the first season winner of The Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network in 2010, and El Pescadito, a mariscos lonchera (seafood truck), that has been parking at the same swap meet in an immigrant neighborhood since 1982.
This bilingual documentary takes the audience on a journey, and it depicts the perseverance, resilience, and tenacity of immigrants and first-generation Latino/Latina/Latinx individuals fighting for their place of inclusion. Through rich and vibrant stories of everyday Americans, the 90-minute feature explores the connection between food, culture and community and discovers that the meaning of the American Dream is in the eye of the beholder.
The documentary is preceded by a personal greeting by 2012 Medal of Freedom recipient and Executive Producer Dolores Huerta. It also includes a four-minute animated open done in English, Spanish, and the indigenous Náhuatl language that traces street food from Los Angeles back to Ancient México and reveals many Náhuatl names still used for food to this very day. (1 hr 41 min, 2020, Director: Patricia Nazario) + Director Q&A