Imagine fleeing your country, in this case El Salvador, and trying to give your children a better life in the United States, yet the American dream, which many think isn't rightfully yours, seems unattainable -- even impossible. You're faced with tremendous financial hardships, an East LA. neighborhood gang recruits your children, and you feel completely lost, you can't sleep at night, and you live in fear of being deported.

And as if things couldn't get any worse, the U.S. Military wants to recruit your son, promising that your family will obtain greencards and be on the path to citizenship. Your son enlists and is killed while serving. Then the offer of citizenship no longer stands and the very soldiers who recruited your first-born don't remember who you are when you confront them.

Now do you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders?

These are the dire circumstances that Alma Award-winning actor Manny Pérez had to channel as he prepared for his role of Jesus in the film, Greencard Warriors, which premiered on March 28 at the AMC Empire 25 in New York City and will be featured during the New York City International Film Festival's Latino Film Day on May 31.

Pérez gives a powerful and emotional performance in Greencard Warriors during a scene where he confronts the two U.S. soldiers who recruited his son and he's overcome by grief and guilt.

"I was actually afraid of that moment, when I met with the director, that scene touched me the most," he told Latin Post. "I was afraid to shoot that scene ... I didn't want to show up on set, I just felt what I had to feel and went with that. We did like two or three takes and each take was worse for me because I couldn't stop the emotions from coming out. It's something that when I read the script that it touched me. The father's heart is broken down with guilt and regrets and that is something that is hard to live with."

The film, directed by Netherlands-born Miriam Kruishoop who showed she has some street cred with her "urban slang," also stars Angel Amaral, Vivica A. Fox, McKinley Freeman, Richard Cabral, Noel Gugliemi, Paige Hurd, Christianne Christensen and Will Green. The film brings to light that "in 2007, there were over 20,500 undocumented soldiers serving in the U.S. Military in the desperate hope of obtaining American citizenship for themselves and their families."

Pérez, who also stars in a re-occurring role on the hit TV show Homeland (he plays El Nino, a Venezuelan gangster/terrorist), has been considered an "underrated" actor for it's evident that he gives his all when it comes to his acting gigs.

He points out that while Greencard Warriors (New World Cinemas) was filmed two years ago, the subject of the film is very timely, given the increasingly heated debate about immigration reform, the Dream Act and Latinos in the military.

"I guess it was meant to be ... it was like the stars aligned," he said about the film's recent release. "For all Latinos, the topic of this film is a necessity and for the government to open a dialogue about what is happening."

The topic of the U.S. Military targeting minority neighborhoods for recruitment also came up in a Q&A after the film's screening. Sadly, art imitates life because like in the film, recruitment does happen in East LA., as well as other urban neighborhoods.

"It's an element of the Dream Act ... that they go to the high schools and they fill their minds with the dream, and sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't," Pérez explained. "It has happened to some people who have gotten their greencards via this, but in this case (in Greencard Warriors) it didn't happen."

Founder of the New York City International Film Festival Roberto Rizzo also pointed out that he's been aware of many Latinos who have served in Afghanistan and continue to wait for their papers after almost a decade.

While Latinos are often targeted for military recruitment, history shows that many find value in serving the U.S., despite the potential risks and unfortunate outcome.

"Culturally, Latinos come from places that have long valued a tradition of military service. Historically, Latinos first entered the United States in significant numbers through war, first in 1848 in a war against Mexico and then in 1898 at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War," according to an American Latino Theme Study. "Politically, most Latinos by conquest soon shifted their allegiance to the U.S., a pattern that has prevailed among successive generations of immigrants from Cuba, Mexico, and, more recently, the countries of Central America.

"Racially, Latinos trace their ancestry to Europe, the Americas, and Africa and, consequently, have long struggled to be recognized as the equals of whites in the U.S. For all these reasons, Latinos have not only taken tremendous pride in their record of military service, they have also adroitly used their status as soldiers and veterans to advance the equal treatment and integration of Latinos within U.S. society."

Pérez says that immigration has always been a "hard topic" and yet a "delicate topic," and he sees both sides of the coin.

"I said it before and I will say it again ... everyone in this country is an immigrant. This country was founded by immigrants ... I became a citizen and I am thrilled that I am an American citizen. I thank God every day for making me a citizen because when I go back to my country (Dominican Republic), I see the corruption," he said.

To further delve into the role of Greencard Warriors' Jesus, Pérez talked to Dominicans, Mexicans and Cubans who have crossed the border illegally in search of the American dream.

"It's a hard decision to make, but they do it ... They do it because they are sick of the corruption; they are sick of the struggle ... it's a hard living, but I can completely understand," he added.

Pérez says he blames the politicians in countries such as the Dominican Republic and in Venezuela, among others who have ruined their countries with corruption, "where the poor gets poorer and the rich gets richer."

Pérez's cousin, Junot Díaz, an MIT professor and esteemed author of the acclaimed Drown; The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, has visited this issue as well. Díaz was born in the Dominican Republic and was raised in New Jersey.

"We share the same passion," Pérez said. "We have spoken about this. The problem is not the country, it's a beautiful country (the Dominican Republic), the problem is the leaders."

Pérez's Acting Career

While some might not be aware of all his roles, Pérez has had a very successful acting career. He won an Alma Award in 2008, for his performance in the film Bella (2006).

Born in the Dominican Republic, Pérez is one of eleven siblings. At the age of 10, he and his family moved to Providence, Rhode Island.

"It was beautiful. We are very united. We laugh a lot," he said of his siblings.

After high school he moved to New York and majored in drama at Marymount Manhattan College.

According to his official bio, Pérez first got the industry's attention when he co-wrote, produced and starred in the critically acclaimed film Washington Heights (2002) an independent film set in his neighborhood. He won the 2002 Best Actor Award at The Milan International Film Festival in Italy for his performance in that film.

In 2006, Pérez also starred in El Cantante alongside Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.

"They were very professional," Pérez said of the former power couple. "I think Marc was born to play that role. He looked like him (Héctor Lavoe), he sounded like him and he should have won an Oscar for that role."

His project La soga (2009), which had its world premiered at The Toronto International Film Festival in September of 2009 to standing ovations, sold-out shows and stellar reviews was produced, written and starred Pérez, according to his official bio. (It was the first Dominican film ever to have screened at the prestigious festival. The film was released by 7-57 Releasing and so far has made over 1 million dollars worldwide.)

In February of 2009, Pérez co-wrote, co-produced and starred in the film titled, Forged (2010) shot completely in Scranton, PA. 

El Diario newspaper honored him with with the "EL Award" as one of the most prominent Latinos in New York. He received the Tony Bennett Excellence in Media Award, the Perry Ellis Humanitarian Award, and was given the Key to the City from his hometown in Providence, Rhode Island. He was also honored with the Humanitarian Award in his native country of Dominican Republic for all of his charitable work during the devastation of Hurricane Noel.

What's next on tap for Pérez?

He will star in Love Is Strange with Alfred Molina and Marisa Tomei. He is also hoping to do a film in the Dominican Republic.

Pérez resides between Washington Heights, New York City (where he's a member of the LAByrinth Theatre Company) and LA.

Check out a trailer of Greencard Warriors, which is playing at the AMC Empire at 234 W 42nd Street in New York City. You can also catch the film during the New York City International Film Festival's Latino Film Day on May 31.