As the child of immigrants, I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges of building a new life in America. The struggle to adapt to this country — its language, culture, and customs — is something I’ve seen my parents face every day.
Growing up, my parents had no close friends, and although they always had each other, I imagine it was isolating for them not to have a broader community. My dad, despite having a sharp sense of humor in his native tongue, remained quiet at my school events, politely smiling and nodding to pretend he was following along in conversations. Meanwhile, my mom, speaking slowly in a thick accent and broken English, would try her best to engage with my classmates and their parents but her efforts were mostly met with polite smiles back.
When I was young, I was embarrassed by these interactions but I’ve now come to have a deep appreciation for their courage — not just in leaving everything they knew to come to America, but in facing the challenges of daily life here.
The title of this play, The Heart Sellers, is a play on words on the Hart-Celler Act, a groundbreaking law that reformed U.S. immigration policy in 1965. By lifting the strict quotas on immigration from Asia and Africa and prioritizing family reunification and skills over national origin, the act opened the door for a new wave of immigrants. I wasn’t previously aware of this law, despite the profound impact it’s had on my own life, so I’m grateful to have learned about it. And since working on this production, I’ve met many people — cast members, North Coast Rep volunteers, and audience members — whose lives were also shaped by this law.
In these times of political division, especially around the issue of immigration, I hope we never forget that we are, at our core, a nation of immigrants, who have built lives here and contributed to this country in countless ways. May we never stop fighting to preserve their humanity and dignity. To quote President Lyndon Johnson when he signed this bill into law, “Our beautiful America was built by a nation of strangers. Those who do come will come because of what they are, not because of the land from which they sprang.”
Kat Yen, Director
