Ezekiel Pacheco, the First DACA Recipient to Lead A Hollywood Film is Gunning for an Oscar & a Green Card - INTERVIEW

Born in the Mexican town of Ayutla de los Libres in the state of Guerrero, Ezekiel Pacheco arrived in the United States at just one-year-old. At 25, he began living one of his dreams: starring in a Hollywood film. In 'At The Gates,' he plays an undocumented young man surrounded by fear—an experience not far from his own life.

Ezekiel learned as a young boy that he wasn't born in the United States and that he was undocumented. "That's my other dream," he told ENSTARZ ¡Latino! in an interview. "I think I'll get my residency in December, and for the first time, I'll go to my country, to Mexico. For the first time in 26 years. I've never seen it."

He owes his opportunities to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) law passed by President Barack Obama, which temporarily regularizes the legal status of undocumented individuals who arrived in the U.S. as minors. "Even so, I'm always very careful with what I do," he added.

The Constant Stress of the Undocumented

The film tells the story of Ana (Vanessa Benavente) and Nico (Pacheco), an undocumented mother and son who find protection from the American family Ana works for when they are pursued by immigration agents.

"I wanted to show a glimpse of what undocumented people live through," he said about his character. "Something very real, something not yet seen in film. I wanted to bring a different perspective on immigrant stories."

The movie, now available on digital platforms, has already changed Ezekiel's life and his family's. Now, he hopes it will also resonate with other Latinos or anyone who connects with the story of a mother and son.

A Tremendous Responsibility

His big break, representing the DREAMers—those in the DACA program—has given him a clear sense of identity and place in history.

"Any Latino artist has a responsibility to represent their people well because we don't have the same opportunities as other cultures," he said. "As a DACA recipient and a lead actor in a film, I know I'm making history and doing things that haven't been seen before, and I'm going to keep doing that."

"With God's blessing, I'll get more opportunities. I want to reach the top, be a renowned actor, represent my people well, and be like Leonardo DiCaprio or others like him. I've changed the game, and I work every day to make that moment happen—and I feel it's close."

His talent is bound for greatness. Behind him was an Oscar statuette. He's after the real one.