In America

Christy:
It's not "José, can you see", it's "Oh say, can you see".

Johnny:
Are you in love with her?

Mateo:
No... I'm in love with you. And I'm in love with your beautiful woman. And I'm in love with your kids. And I'm even in love with your unborn child. I'm even in love with your anger! I'm in love with anything that lives!

Ariel:
Cool!

Christy:
Cool? Where'd you hear that?

Ariel:
I don't know, I just heard it.

Christy:
Ugh, you're already American, it's disgusting!

Christy:
Listening to my mom and dad I was scared we weren't going to get across the border. And if I didn't talk to Frankie, how we're going to get into America? Please Frankie, please. Please help us I said.

Immigration Officer #1:
How many children do you have?

Johnny:
Three.

Sarah:
Two.

Johnny:
Two.

Immigration Officer #1:
Says three here.

Johnny:
We lost one.

Christy:
We heard Manhattan before we ever saw it, a thousand strange voices coming from everywhere. And you're not going to believe this, but we had to go under the water to get to the city. And we lost contact with everything; it was like we were on another planet.

Ariel:
What are transvestites?

Christy:
A man who dresses up as a woman.

Ariel:
For Halloween?

Christy:
No, all the time. All the time.

Ariel:
Why?

Christy:
It's just what they do here, OK?

Mateo:
When luck comes knocking on your door, you can't turn it away.

Johnny:
What's wrong with me Mateo? I can't laugh, I can't cry, I think I'm going insane!

Sarah:
Make believe you're happy Johnny, please, for the kids.

Mateo:
GO AWAY!

Ariel:
What's your name?

Mateo:
Mateo. What's yours?

Ariel:
Ariel, hello.

Mateo:
You the kids from upstairs?

Christy:
Yeah.

Mateo:
Is this Halloween?

Christy:
Yeah.

Mateo:
Hm. Where you from?

Christy:
Ireland.

Mateo:
You came all the way to America to trick or treat?

Mateo:
You don't believe.

Christy:
What if I have it?

Johnny:
Have what?

Christy:
Mateo's disease.

Johnny:
That's not possible, Christy?

Christy:
How do you know that?

Johnny:
God won't let that happen to you.

Christy:
You don't believe in God.

Sarah:
If the baby dies, just don't wake me up.

Ariel:
I'm scared.

Johnny:
Don't be scared.

Ariel:
Everyone's dying.

Johnny:
Are you okay little girl?

Christy:
Don't "little girl" me. I've been carrying this family on my back for over a year, ever since Frankie died. He was my brother too. It's not my fault that he's dead. It's not my fault that I'm still alive.

Johnny:
Ah, Christy.

Christy:
Mom was always crying because he was her son. But he was my brother too. I cried too... when no one was looking. I talked to him every night.

Ariel:
She did, Dad.

Christy:
I talked to him every night, until...

Johnny:
...until when?

Christy:
Until I realized I was talking to myself.

Johnny:
Why would youse wanna be the same as everybody else?

Ariel:
'Cause everybody else goes trick-or-treating.

Sarah:
What's that?

Ariel:
It's what they do here for Halloween.

Johnny:
What do you mean? Like, help the Halloween party?

Christy:
No. Not help the Halloween party. You don't ask for help in America. You demand it. Trick-or-treat- you don't ask, you threaten.

Sarah:
You can't do that on our street.

Christy:
Why not?

Sarah:
Because you can't threaten drug addicts and transvestites, that's why.

Ariel:
Daddy, can we stay in here all day?

Johnny:
Sure.

Ariel:
Dad, America's okay.

Johnny:
Good.

Ariel:
Dad?

Johnny:
What?

Ariel:
Nothing.

Mateo:
I'm an alien, like E.T., from a different planet. My skin is too sensitive for this Earth. The air is too hard for me.

Ariel:
Are you going home like E.T.?

Mateo:
I suppose I'm going home.

Christy:
Are you awake, Ariel?

Ariel:
Yeah. Are you, Christy?

Christy:
Yeah.