iLL ZakieL - America (Official Music Video)
“With the spirit of Cesar Chavez, luchando pa mi gente like I’m marching.
They called me Alien, like I’m a martian.
They said go back to where you came from, that’s where we were starving.
I’m thankful that my momma brought me here, now I’m an artist.”
What’s good y’all? Happy 4th of July! What a perfect way to have something to play today with “America” by iLL ZakieL. The latest visual from his most recent single off his upcoming album “Against All Odds.” The video is also sponsored by Me Vale Madre clothing. A great opportunity for everyone involved to represent for a forgotten population of America, the immigrants who make this country great. iLL takes the time to share the stories of his bloodline, his family came over to find new opportunities and became a shining example of immigrants who contribute to this great country.
A message that I can fully support and relate to, my grandparents immigrated to America and raised their family by working in the fields of Salinas, CA. The overlooked agriculture industry, especially central California, is powered by many immigrants from all over. The humble people who help harvest the food we eat in all our grocery stores. It is easy to take for granted the lower level jobs that society shames, but we fail to realize that it is still a huge stepping stone for someone who left their home land. For iLL ZakieL, his family’s legacy starts with his mother who came to America at the age of 30 with her children.
“Through the bullshit, I love this country and the opportunities. Look at my sister, one of the smartest women that I’ve seen. An immigrant woman on the road to get her phD. Nurse practitioner and a professor at UNLV. Look at my mother, she brought us here when she was thirty. She didn’t speak a word of English but she started learning. She went to school while raising us, also full time working. Through all the ridicule and racism, she kept on hurdling. She earned her master’s degree, pushed through the adversities. Had a successful career, lived the American dream.”
The record starts off with a story of iLL and his mother talking about a memory of his. When freshly coming to America, iLL tells reminds his mom of a time when she told him to go play in the sand and use your English. Come to find out, this was instructed to the young iLL because there were immigration officers patrolling right by them. A close call on their part as they had nothing but each other at the time. Fast forward to when the got a little something going for themselves, they focused on education and proving to Americans and Mexican Americans alike that they deserve to be here. Taking advantage of every chance they never had before. His mother found herself in school and into a career to provide. Grateful for the sacrifices and hardships, it was worth every sleepless night.
The whole family is established and seeing that example set, allowed a younger iLL to think about what he dreamed about. With the hardworking and honest earning people in his home making sure they had stability, he was able to find a passion in creating music. Had they not moved to America, would iLL even be the artist we know today? Would he have the drive to chase this dream, if he didn’t see his own family chase the dream of a better life? Behind every first generation American is brave immigrant relatives who took that leap of faith for us first born generation of Americans to thrive. iLL is indebted to the land of opportunity for giving his own and people like him a chance to contribute. However, he knows that not everyone accepts people escaping poverty in their countries. With success comes struggles and immigrants have their own fair share.
“Some people judge us with out walking inside our shoes. If you were starving, what would you do?”
Although getting here does not end the adversity, immigrant families have to learn to live under the radar in certain instances. There’s a good amount of the population who live in fear or immigrants and the misconceptions of their presence in the economy. The narrative pushed in politics, small minded communities and nationalistic extremists, who fuel the falsities of what it means to be an immigrant, haunt them every day. Threats of being met with ICE and Immigration Services if your “legal” status is found out. Regardless of the taxes, jobs fulfilled, cash flow to local economies, and gratitude of the people who want to be in America, they are stepped on by mainstream society.
These are good people with drive and ambition. With goals to be productive, so their kids’ kids don’t ever have to worry about a meal or falling victim to mass corruption. For those who want to keep their head up and earn everything they work for, America should be accepting. With a huge amount of these people, English isn’t something they are fluent in so their voices in America aren’t heard. iLL proudly uses his platforms to put the listener in the shoes of an immigrant who isn’t scary or violent. Immigrants aren’t creatures of another land, they are children of the Earth and iLL uses empathy along with his own anecdotal evidence to teach that. Despite the debates and defamation of their character, iLL refuses to be silent on the matter. Calling out the detrimental treatment of immigrants from the American government. The separation of families who aren’t all American born and the cruelty they face imprisoned by Immigration.
“They blame it on the people in the cages. Media washing they brains, systematic dehumanization. Think about it, why you think they call us aliens? They take your human value as soon as you’re labeled this. A subhuman like you’re no longer homosapien. That’s how they justify atrocities that they commit.. here in America.”
To take the good, is to take the bad. The beautiful thing about America is that iLL has the right and freedom to speak on these issues. The chance to have this discussion and educate the ignorant on the traps that people who want to be American citizens fall into is what America is all about. Now that the children of immigrants are growing up to have a voice in today’s society, we get to learn more about the amazing people who support the foundation of this country everyday and go unnoticed. Regardless of where you come from, if you are here then embrace everyone who wants to be a part of this great country. The song outro contains a snippet from a speech delivered by Guillermo Del Toro, where he shares the importance of unity and remaining hopeful in a system made to divide those who are born in America from those who emigrated their homes for America. A beautiful excerpt that almost brought myself to tears as I thought about loved ones I know who have faced the same struggles.
A beautiful and profound statement to make in a song, there is so much more shared and to be learned from this song. Give it a watch and see a less represented side of America. For those celebrating their achievements made here or those who aren’t accepted here but are still happy to be here. Go follow the artist and share this video with someone today.
— the weather watcher 🌦🛰