Therapist, Diversity Trainer

Roberto was probably the one person in the film that I knew the longest. Roberto and I met during the time I was doing a great deal of group work with men. I instantly found him to be a kind and passionate Latino man. He had a way about him that made you feel comfortable and safe. In some ways, I always felt he was the elder of the group.

One of my fondest memories of him was attending a meeting with a group EuroAmerican men to help plan a men’s conference. The leader of the group wanted us to get started immediately, but Roberto stopped him because he first wanted us to process what it was like for us, as men of color, coming into a predominantly white, wealthy neighborhood. I was astounded by his candor and willingness to risk revealing the truth so easily. It changed the whole course of the meeting and my impression of him from that moment on. His role in the film, especially the part about what it means to be an American, gave words to so many of us who have felt like outsiders for so long, but couldn’t find the words to describe our pain and anguish. To me, it was the turning point in the film, especially for the men of color.