The American Dream on Screen

Here are the top five films that capture the immigrant experience for entrepreneurs

There is something almost cinematic about the act of crossing a border. The anticipation of what lies ahead, the final glance at what is left behind. To immigrate is to step into a new frame, to become the protagonist of a story whose ending is uncertain.

And yet, when it comes to the immigrant story—particularly the story of the immigrant entrepreneur—Hollywood tends to paint with broad strokes, favoring archetypes over nuance. The rags-to-riches tale, the hardworking dreamer, the relentless struggle against a system bent on gatekeeping. But beyond the clichés, there is a deeper narrative about the intersection of identity, ambition, and survival.

At Beyond Border, we have the privilege of witnessing these stories unfold in real time. We work with individuals who are not merely seeking refuge or opportunity—they are seeking to build, to create, to leave a mark. The immigrant entrepreneur is not just a character in the American story; they are a force driving it forward. As I reflect on the films that have best captured this experience, I am drawn not to the fantasy of the American Dream but to the quiet, complicated truth beneath it.

Here are five films that, in their own way, mirror the journey of the immigrant entrepreneur—and what they reveal about the precarious, often exhilarating, nature of building a life in America.

1. The Godfather Part II (1974) – Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

"I believe in America."

To speak of immigration and entrepreneurship is to speak of The Godfather. While the original film remains an undisputed classic, it’s The Godfather Part II that most keenly explores the immigrant’s drive to succeed in a country that thrives on contradiction. Young Vito Corleone, played with haunting restraint by Robert De Niro, arrives in New York at the turn of the 20th century with nothing but his name and his silence.

The rise of the Corleone empire is not just a story of organized crime—it is a brutal allegory for the immigrant's path to power. Vito understands that America’s promise is not about fairness; it’s about leverage.

Entrepreneurship for immigrants is rarely clean. It is about understanding the game and then finding a way to play it better. Vito’s business instincts—his ability to see power structures where others see only opportunity—mirror the strategic thinking of the modern immigrant entrepreneur. It’s not just about survival; it’s about rewriting the rules.

At Beyond Border, we work with clients who face similar realities, minus the bloodshed. The key to success often lies in understanding the legal and economic landscape better than those who were born into it.

2. Brooklyn (2015) – Directed by John Crowley

"Home is home."

Not all immigrant stories are about power; some are about finding peace. Brooklyn follows Eilis Lacey, a young Irish woman who arrives in New York in the 1950s, carrying little more than a suitcase and a heart full of uncertainty.

Eilis’s journey is not about building an empire—it’s about building a life. She navigates homesickness, romance, and the pressure to define herself in a country that offers endless possibility but little guidance.

For the immigrant entrepreneur, the challenge is not only professional but deeply personal. Success requires not only resilience but the ability to stay tethered to oneself while navigating a foreign culture.

At Beyond Border, we see this struggle in the faces of clients who are launching businesses while grappling with the emotional weight of displacement. The tension between staying true to one’s roots and adapting to a new culture is a quiet, constant battle. Brooklyn reminds us that entrepreneurship is as much about belonging as it is about building.

3. Scarface (1983) – Directed by Brian De Palma

"The world is yours."

Tony Montana’s story is not exactly aspirational—but it is revealing. Scarface is the dark, neon-lit counterpoint to the American Dream, a cautionary tale of ambition untethered from morality. Tony arrives in Miami as a Cuban refugee with nothing but raw hunger. What sets him apart is not just his ruthlessness—it’s his refusal to play by the rules. He doesn’t just want success; he wants domination.

While Tony’s path is extreme, the undercurrent is familiar to any immigrant entrepreneur: the sense that playing by the rules will only get you so far. There is a reason many of the world’s most innovative businesses have immigrant founders. To survive as an outsider, you have to think differently. You have to see openings where others see dead ends.

Tony’s downfall lies not in his ambition, but in his inability to balance vision with restraint—a lesson every entrepreneur eventually confronts.

At Beyond Border, we guide our clients toward sustainable success, helping them navigate the fine line between risk and recklessness.

4. The Namesake (2006) – Directed by Mira Nair

"You will never be fully at home again."

In The Namesake, the immigrant experience unfolds across generations. Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli leave India for the United States, hoping to give their children a better future. Their son, Gogol, grows up torn between two worlds, his identity fractured by the weight of his parents’ sacrifice. The tension between past and future is palpable—the sense that in gaining one thing, you are inevitably losing another.

Entrepreneurship for immigrants often carries a similar weight. Success comes at a cost: the distance from home, the loss of familiar rhythms and rituals.

At Beyond Border, we see how this emotional complexity shapes business decisions. Immigrant entrepreneurs are not just building for themselves—they are building for the generations that will follow. The Namesake reminds us that success is not only about financial security; it’s about legacy.

5. Minari (2020) – Directed by Lee Isaac Chung

"It’s not a bad thing to want a better life."

Of all the films on this list, Minari feels closest to the heart. The story of the Yi family, Korean immigrants who relocate to rural Arkansas to start a farm, is quiet but devastating. The father, Jacob, believes that hard work will eventually yield success.

But the land is unforgiving, and so is America. Jacob’s determination strains his marriage and his relationship with his children. The American Dream, Minari reminds us, is not guaranteed.

The immigrant entrepreneur often faces this same fragile reality: the knowledge that success depends not only on hard work but on luck, timing, and the goodwill of the system.

At Beyond Border, we guide our clients through these uncertainties. We help them build structures to weather the storms and strategies to seize the breakthroughs. Minari is a reminder that success is not just about money—it’s about finding stability, about being able to say, “We made it.”