My American Girls

"There's always something going on in this house...it's like a hotel for the Dominican Republic"

"My American Girls stands as one of the strikingly few full-length profiles of Dominican immigrants in any genre." -The New York Times

"Packed with uncommon honesty and humor." -Los Angeles Times

"A heart-waming story of bi-cultural vitality." -Chicago Sun-Times

In intimate, vivid detail, MY AMERICAN GIRLS captures the joys and struggles over a year in the lives of the Ortiz family, first generation immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Matthews' film captures the rewards - and costs - of pursuing the American dream. From hard-working parents, who imagine retiring to their rural homeland, to fast-tracking American-born daughters, caught between their parent's values and their own, the film encompasses the contradictions of contemporary immigrant life.

Broadcasts

Now broadcasting on PBS's True Lives series

Discovery Times Channel 2003-2007

Selected for Encore P.O.V. broadcast in 2002

Premiered on PBS's P.O.V. series in 2001

Selected Festivals and Awards

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