Defining American
Jose Antonio Vargas is an undocumented immigrant from the Philippines who runs a non-profit media advocacy organization that aims to show how the perception of documented and undocumented immigrants is seen in the United States.
Vargas came out as being an undocumented immigrant in the New York Times Sunday Magazine in 2001. He was warned ahead of time by many of his lawyers that it was a bad idea because not only was he exposing himself, but opening a big lawsuit against him for violating the law. After the magazine published his story he know that he would have to take action, so he decided to inform people about the immigration system in the United States by creating media advocacy organization.
He created a media platform that he created to have storytelling by general people around the country to "Define American". He wants to change the current perception of immigrants and immigration by doing so he split Define American's strategies into 3 different areas. First is to challenge media by confronting the media coverage of immigration politics. They developed two campaigns #WordsMatter and #FactsMatter to change how the issue of immigrants and immigration is talked about. He gave a great example of how CNN and Fox News call immigrants "Illegals". Then stated that calling people "illegal" is actually factually incorrect but continue to use it.
The second strategy was to create a media that battles the stereotype of the lives of undocumented immigrants being miserable. He wanted to share a imagery of joy by creating a 3 minute video from real undocumented citizens in the United States living a regular life. He wanted to demonstrate a more accurate example of how undocumented immigrants should be seen. Not everything we see on Television about immigrants being depressed or scared is true. So with this 3 minute video he demonstrated that people are still living a regular life outside not hiding and smiling.
His final strategy is have the organization to curate media. Anyone can contribute to this by going the website at DefineAmericans.com and share their own stories about being undocumented or an ally of undocumented immigrants. Then those videos are used to advise the television industry or producers to better represent immigrants characters in their programs.
After the presentation Vargas opened it to questions. He talked about his experience lying being documented and how this organization began and hopes to see changes in the way people perceive immigrants. He also mentions that the organization hopes to gain LBCC to be part it.
Overall, this is one of the best speakers that I've seen in my college years because its commonly seen talked by someone that is Hispanic.
Vargas came out as being an undocumented immigrant in the New York Times Sunday Magazine in 2001. He was warned ahead of time by many of his lawyers that it was a bad idea because not only was he exposing himself, but opening a big lawsuit against him for violating the law. After the magazine published his story he know that he would have to take action, so he decided to inform people about the immigration system in the United States by creating media advocacy organization.
He created a media platform that he created to have storytelling by general people around the country to "Define American". He wants to change the current perception of immigrants and immigration by doing so he split Define American's strategies into 3 different areas. First is to challenge media by confronting the media coverage of immigration politics. They developed two campaigns #WordsMatter and #FactsMatter to change how the issue of immigrants and immigration is talked about. He gave a great example of how CNN and Fox News call immigrants "Illegals". Then stated that calling people "illegal" is actually factually incorrect but continue to use it.
The second strategy was to create a media that battles the stereotype of the lives of undocumented immigrants being miserable. He wanted to share a imagery of joy by creating a 3 minute video from real undocumented citizens in the United States living a regular life. He wanted to demonstrate a more accurate example of how undocumented immigrants should be seen. Not everything we see on Television about immigrants being depressed or scared is true. So with this 3 minute video he demonstrated that people are still living a regular life outside not hiding and smiling.
His final strategy is have the organization to curate media. Anyone can contribute to this by going the website at DefineAmericans.com and share their own stories about being undocumented or an ally of undocumented immigrants. Then those videos are used to advise the television industry or producers to better represent immigrants characters in their programs.
After the presentation Vargas opened it to questions. He talked about his experience lying being documented and how this organization began and hopes to see changes in the way people perceive immigrants. He also mentions that the organization hopes to gain LBCC to be part it.
Overall, this is one of the best speakers that I've seen in my college years because its commonly seen talked by someone that is Hispanic.
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