“Living Undocumented,” a Netflix original, tells stories of the horrific occurances that foreign families have to endure while  trying to illegally enter the United States. The show follows eight

undocumented families, all of which display their heart-wrenching life. The purpose of this documentary was to strip any filter that media may lay upon the illegal immigrant issue, and provide an explanation as to where this protocol originated.

    Director, Aaron Saidman and Anna Chai selected families from Israel, Africa, Laos, Central America and Mexico due to the large amounts of immigration into the states from these countries. Personally, I started this documentary expecting all of the content to be pulled from a one-sided source and to be over dramatic. But, within the first few minutes of the first episode, I stood corrected.

    The children stuck with me the most. Throughout this six-part series the idea of family was spread across the board. Kids shared their confusion and concern for their parents arrests and fear of deportation. Their childhood fear forces the audience behind the screen to reflect on their own life. These kids don’t know where their next meal is coming from or even if their parents are going to come home at the end of the day. 

    The purpose of this documentary wasn’t to bash the first-world citizens, but to inform them of the extremes that a majority of immigrants are living. It isn’t just taking a test to see if you can properly recite the “National Anthem”, it’s a constant yearn for a tainted freedom.