Born In East L.A. (1987)

Based on Cheech Marin’s parody of Bruce Springsteen‘s rock anthem Born in the USA, this weak-kneed effort lacks the wit of the Marin recording and cannot even muster a fraction of the Boss’s own power.

It is the tale of Rudy Robles (Marin), a third-generation American of Hispanic descent who is wrongly deported to Tijuana after an immigration raid in a migrant worker factory in LA when he is caught without money or ID. Unfortunately, he cannot speak a word of Spanish!

Unable to contact his vacationing family or his newly immigrated cousin (comedian Paul Rodriguez), Rudy tries every legal – and illegal – scheme to get back home to LA, ending up in jail and in love.

The film starts by taking a handful of amiable potshots but eventually allows itself to be smothered by blandness, tasteless infantile gags about scantily clad women, a dash of sadomasochism and a smattering of derogatory references to gay men.

Nonetheless, Marin – who writes, directs and stars in the film – supplies a comfortable comic presence and almost gets his comedy off the ground in one sequence where he instructs five young men from South America and the Far East on how to walk, talk and act hip so they can blend in as Chicanos when they sneak illegally into Los Angeles.

Under Rudy’s tutelage, the street-stupid scholars learn to say “Waasappenin’?”, which he tells them is the password in the barrio in LA.

Rudy Robles
Richard “Cheech” Marin
Jimmy
Daniel Stern
Javier
Paul Rodriguez
Dolores
Kamala Dawson
McCalister
Jan-Michael Vincent
Rudy’s mother
Lupe Ontiveros
Rudy’s sister
Urbanie Lucero
Rudy’s niece
Chastity Ayala
Rudy’s nephew
David Perez
Marcie
Neith Hunter
Feo
Tony Plana

Director
Richard “Cheech” Marin

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