“How to Have an American Baby,” the documentary film by Leslie Tai now playing at DOC NYC, piercingly allegorizes the viability of the American Dream in today’s world. Told through a network of interconnected storylines and situations, the film is a thoughtful journey into a shadow economy, with the rewarding end goal on the horizon.
Can the American Dream be bought and sold? And if so, at what cost?
“How to Have an American Baby” examines the means through which birth tourism has been circumvented in the US. The film takes a closer look into Chinese maternity hotels masquerading as regular single-family homes in California. There’s a feeling of unease seeing the hilltop neighborhoods while a jazz version of “Sabor a Mi” plays in the background, knowing that some of the properties in the neighborhood double as maternity hotels.
Inside a maternity hotel, we see families, complete with nannies, cooks, and the babies—all living under one roof. By being born on US soil, the babies automatically obtain American citizenship. These tourists go all-in with their bets, with their quest of having an American baby involving reaping the benefits of US citizenship along with the opportunities that it provides their children.
Secret Lives Seen through Long, Observational Takes
Through long takes, Tai balances detachment and empathy with her shots (she also worked as cinematographer for the documentary). It isn’t easy, and the film at times loses its objectivity as a result. Nonetheless, Tai subscribes to the urgency that the film commands, sticking to her guns in telling a story that is documentary but does not entirely feel like one.
The film shows real people having real fears and aspirations for their families. Some of them don’t intend to go back to China after giving birth, remarking that “making money is more important.” Others, conversely, are raring to return home due to difficulties adjusting to American culture and learning the English language.
We also see how capitalistic tendencies play out on a human level. In one orientation scene, a new staff member gets briefed on his responsibilities while visiting the maternity hotels. When he asks why the business isn’t exactly busy as he thought, his trainer tells him that it was the Year of the Sheep in Chinese horoscope; and that their clients need better visa training sessions next time to avoid running afoul of the immigration.
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An expectant Chinese mother shops at an American big-box retailer in a scene from “How to Have an American Baby.” (Photo: Leslie Tai, DOC NYC 2023).
A Microcosm of the Complex US-China Relations
Contextualizing the sociopolitical climate in the mid-2010s helps understand the situation better. The economic rise of China in this period amplified the already-complex relations between the country and the US. A few scenes in the film depict the paranoia, tension, and fear surrounding immigration, homeland security, and race. These include a meeting wherein an officer says that he can’t say that the birth tourism arrangements are “ingenious, but it’s out of the box…There are people who are doing this full-time.”
Employing an insider perspective, the film provides a nuanced, behind-the-scenes look into this booming shadow economy. Pregnant Chinese tourists travel to America to give birth in order to obtain US citizenship for their babies. By doing so, they adhere to the legalities of the system, albeit through the backdoor to circumvent certain policies in place.
Tai tells a multi-perspective narrative through a series of observational vignettes, making use of an extraordinary level of access afforded to her in order to delve into the maternity hotel industry and their clients. Along the way, the audiences begin to care for her characters after getting caught up in the phenomenon, and whose lives are changed — for better or for worse.
A Kaleidoscopic Journey Toward the American Dream
As a study of the complexity of the human experience in our globalized world, “How to Have an American Baby” is a compassionate portrait of women’s reproductive journeys, juxtaposed with traditions and capitalist desires.
Even more, the documentary underscores the filmmakers’ commitment to help change the perception that most Westerners have about China. By working closely with her female characters, director Tai helps them get acquainted with the American language and culture. Essentially, her work aims to shed light on the challenges that those children would face growing up as they stand at the crossroads of embracing their Chinese-American identities.
And for what it’s worth, such a noble cause deserves praise.
‘How to Have an American Baby’ is currently playing at this year’s DOC NYC Documentary Festival. The festival goes from November 8th to 26th. Join us for continual coverage.
