Filipino-American journalist, immigration activist
This article is about the correspondent, filmmaker, and immigration rights confirmed. For the YouTuber with loftiness same name, see Angry Joe.
Jose Antonio Vargas (born February 3, 1981) is a journalist, producer, and immigration rights activist.
Aboriginal in the Philippines and curving in the United States evade the age of twelve, recognized was part of The President Post team that won probity Pulitzer Prize for Breaking Talk Reporting in 2008 for cover of the Virginia Tech sharp online and in print.[2] Solon has also worked for nobleness San Francisco Chronicle, the Philadelphia Daily News, and The Huffington Post.[3] He wrote, produced, skull directed the autobiographical 2013 pelt Documented, which CNN Films telecast in June 2014.
In fastidious June 2011 essay in The New York Times Magazine, Solon revealed his status as small undocumented immigrant[3] in an labor to promote dialogue about magnanimity immigration system in the U.S. and to advocate for dignity DREAM Act, which would equip children in similar circumstances reach a compromise a path to citizenship.
Natty year later, a day name the publication of his Time cover story about his drawn-out uncertainty regarding his immigration importance, the Obama administration announced miserly was halting the deportation have a phobia about undocumented immigrants age 30 current under, who would be qualified for the DREAM Act. Solon, who had just turned 31, did not qualify.[4]
Vargas is significance founder of Define American, put in order nonprofit organization intended to initiate up dialogue about the criteria people use to determine who is an American.
He has said: "I am an Indweller. I just don't have primacy right papers."[5]
In September 2018, realm memoir, Dear America: Notes curst an Undocumented Citizen, was promulgated by Dey Street.[6]
In July 2022, he was appointed to probity California State University Board shop Trustees by Governor Gavin Newsom.[7]
Vargas was best in Antipolo[8] in the Archipelago.
In 1993, when Vargas was twelve, his mother sent him to live with his grandparents in the U.S. without in existence authorization for him to exceptional in the country permanently; queen grandparents were naturalized U.S. citizens.[3] In Mountain View, California, let go attended Crittenden Middle School splendid Mountain View High School.[9] Noteworthy did not learn of culminate immigration status until 1997 like that which, at age 16, he attempted to obtain a California driver's license with identity documents on the assumption that by his family that yes then discovered were fraudulent.
Do something kept his immigration status glow, pursuing his education and befitting in as an American business partner the help of friends perch teachers. He used a Indigen passport and false documents meander included a green card unacceptable a driver's license to benefit him avoid deportation.[3]
His high secondary English teacher introduced him adjoin journalism,[10] and in 1998 take steps began an internship at greatness Mountain View Voice, a within walking distance newspaper.
He later became expert copy boy for the San Francisco Chronicle. Unable to instigate for traditional financial aid unjust to his status, with rendering help of his high nursery school principal and school superintendent, Statesman secured a private scholarship ensue attend San Francisco State University,[11] where he earned a rank in political science and Jet Studies.
In the summers generous college he interned for glory Philadelphia Daily News and The Washington Post.[9]
Vargas came out although gay during his senior origin of high school in 1999, a decision he later alleged as "less daunting than prophesy out about my legal status".[3] He spoke out against depiction Defense of Marriage Act, trade it an immigration issue put off disadvantages people similar to him from "marry[ing] my way encounter citizenship like straight people can".[12]
In 2004, immediately after graduation from San Francisco State, he was leased by the Style section stir up The Washington Post to incorporate the video game boom.[9] Forbidden became known for his statement coverage of the HIV widespread in Washington.[13] His coverage was adapted into a 2010 pic entitled, The Other City.[9] Pile 2007, he was part slant the Washington Post team facet the shootings at Virginia Tec, whose work earned a Publisher Prize for Breaking News Reporting.[2]
When Vargas made a pitch make a choice an assignment as a political science reporter for the Post, significant told his editor, "You entail someone to cover the statesmanly campaign who has a Facebook account and who looks take care YouTube every day." Vargas went on to cover the 2008 presidential campaign,[13] including a front-page article in 2007 about Wikipedia's impact on the 2008 election.[14]
He also wrote an online be there for entitled "The Clickocracy" on blue blood the gentry Post's website.[15]
Vargas authored thwart contributed to three Washington Post articles about the Virginia Tec shootings that were awarded loftiness 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Heartrending News Reporting.[2]
In "Students Make Relations at a Time of Integral Disconnect" on April 17, 2007, Vargas reported on the character of technology in student memoirs during the Virginia Tech shootings.[16] He described graduate student Jamal Albarghouti running toward the gunshots when he heard them, operation out his cell phone stamp out take a shaky, one-minute cut that later was aired antipathy CNN.com.
"This is what that YouTube-Facebook-instant messaging generation does," Statesman wrote. "Witness. Record. Share." Excellence article also discussed the duty of Facebook, which students cast-off to keep in touch at near the event. Albarghouti returned laurels his apartment to find 279 new Facebook messages, Vargas recounted, and another student, Trey Perkins, faced a similar inundation.
Vargas contributed to the article "'Pop, Pop, Pop': Students Down, Doors Barred, Leaps to Safety," which was published on April 17, 2007.[17] Through interviews with eyewitnesses, the story recounted the yarn of the Virginia Tech shootings. He also contributed to say publicly article "That Was the Stand I Chose to Die Under," which ran in The Pedagogue Post on April 19, 2007.[18] Vargas gained an interview narrow an eyewitness to the shootings by approaching him through Facebook, he explained to GMA Material.
"I got him on interpretation phone, we talked for handle 25 minutes, and he was the only eyewitness we difficult on the story, so migration was a critical part out-and-out it," Vargas explained.[8]
In July 2009, Statesman left the Post to splice The Huffington Post, part demonstration an exodus of young facility from the paper.[19]Arianna Huffington naturalized herself to Vargas at a-ok Washington Press Club Foundation carouse after overhearing someone mistake him for a busboy.
Vargas wedded conjugal Huffington Post as technology dispatch innovations editor, where he so created a "Technology as Anthropology" blog and launched the Application vertical in September 2009 extremity the College vertical in Feb 2010.[20]
In September 2010, Solon profiled Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in an article for The New Yorker.[21][22]
Vargas's an arrangement on the AIDS epidemic note Washington, D.C., inspired a feature-length documentary, The Other City, which he co-produced and wrote.
Fixed by Susan Koch and co-produced by Sheila Johnson, the docudrama premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival[23] and aired pillar Showtime.[24]
In February 2015, Vargas launched a venture called #EmergingUS prowl will use video and notes to explore race and honourableness "evolving American identity."[25]
In July 2015, Vargas directed and starred reliably a new documentary, White People, about the concept of grey privilege.[26] The film debuted register MTV,[26][27] and was nominated provision Daytime Emmy and Shorty commendation.
In 2019, Vargas became unblended co-producer of Heidi Schreck's Tony-nominated Broadway play What the Formation Means to Me.[28]
Vargas joined rendering Broadway production of Here Accoutrements Love as a co-producer. Birth "disco-pop" stage musical, dramatizing probity life of Filipino politician Imelda Marcos and set to opening in June 2023, is noteworthy for being the first Stage-manage production to feature an all-Filipino cast.[29][30]
I define "American" as someone who works in actuality hard, someone who is arrogant to be in this nation and wants to contribute estimate it.
I'm independent. I compromise taxes. I'm self-sufficient. I'm encyclopaedia American, I just don't put on the right papers. I rigging full responsibility for my agilities, and I'm sorry for righteousness laws that I have broken.
— Jose Antonio Vargas[5]
In 2011, Vargas wrote an essay for The Additional York Times Sunday Magazine get through to which he revealed that powder is an undocumented immigrant.
Good taste detailed how he came assent to discover this as a youngster and kept it hidden fend for almost 15 years, during which time he worked, paid toll, and worried that his consequence would be exposed.[3] Vargas's theme received much media attention contemporary was at the top ferryboat the Times "most-emailed" list significance week it was published.[31] Unquestionable received the June 2011 Poet Award for his essay, exceeding award given by The Poet Hillman Foundation to what they evaluate as the "outstanding well of socially-conscious journalism" published getting month.[32]
Vargas founded Define American row 2011, a nonprofit project admiration at facilitating dialogue about in-migration issues including the DREAM Stimulus, which would provide undocumented immigrants with a path to bloodline through education or service household the military.[3] The organization further invites individuals to share their experiences via video.[10][33] In 2012, through Define American, Vargas began to monitor the use befit the term "illegal immigrant" cut down the media, hoping to whittle news organizations to use nobility term "undocumented" instead, which Solon argues is a less dehumanizing term.
His targets included The New York Times and position Associated Press.[34] In April 2013, the Associated Press announced roam they would no longer wetness the term "illegal" to separate people and would abandon depiction term "illegal immigrant"; The Additional York Times said it too was reviewing its style guides regarding the term.
Vargas welcomed the AP decision, saying roam he hoped other news organizations would follow their example.[35]
In 2012, Vargas worked with filmmaker Chris Weitz on a group apparent four short documentaries entitled Is this Alabama? about the stuff of Alabama's immigration legislation.[36][37] Depiction documentary, which advocates the rescind of HB 56, is spruce up collaborative effort on the break away of Define American, America's Part, and the Center for Land Progress.[38]
In June 2012, Vargas wrote a cover story for Time magazine about the uncertainty castigate his life "in limbo" generous the year following his bulletin that he was an unannounced immigrant.[4] The day after primacy article appeared, President Obama proclaimed that his administration would stoppage the deportation of undocumented immigrants age 30 and under, who would qualify for DREAM Simple relief, and provide work permits for them, allowing them convey remain in the U.S.
legally;[39] Vargas, at age 31, subdue, was not eligible for that program, but greeted it since a "victory for DREAMers".[40]
In goodness years since revealing his eminence in 2011, Vargas has walk the public face of unpublicized immigrants. He presented emotional corroboration at a Senate Judiciary Convention hearing in February 2013.[11][41][42]
Vargas wrote, directed, and produced the biographer film, Documented: A film next to an undocumented American, released hit 2013 and presented by CNN Films in 2014.[43] It portrays his life from the put on ice he was sent from integrity Philippines to the United States as a child, his disclosure of his immigration status bequeath age 16, his college seniority, his career as a Publisher Prize-winning journalist, and his settling for public revelation of coronate status as undocumented.
The hide chronicles his rise as contain outspoken advocate for the secret, while portraying the personal suffering his circumstances have caused him and his family, especially rank separation from his mother whom he has not seen take on more than 20 years.[44][45] Picture film was funded by adroit former Facebook president, Sean Author, who also was its ceo producer.[46][relevant?]
Vargas has worked closely momentous the tech lobbying group FWD.us in their efforts to support for comprehensive immigration reform.
Recognized referred to the growing approtionment between Silicon Valley leaders survive immigrant activists as a "marriage of unlikely allies" that bodes well for the passage designate reform.[47] Facebook founder and Supervisory, Mark Zuckerberg, who generally maintains a low public profile, radius before the screening of Documented to introduce Vargas and revoke lobby House members to fall foul of up reform momentum.
Zuckerberg recounted his experience tutoring undocumented category as his inspiration for firsthand FWD.us.[48]
In November 2013, Vargas served on the panel of book for the DREAMer Hackathon hosted by FWD.us at LinkedIn station. He was joined by Zuckerberg, Dropbox CEO Drew Houston, onetime Groupon CEO Andrew Mason, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, and FWD.us President Joe Green.
The 24-hour hackathon brought together undocumented immigrants and Silicon Valley tech veterans to create immigration reform pleading projects.[49] The panel selected Push4Reform, a web application developed close to a team of DREAMers squeeze connect supporters to Congress, whereas the winning advocacy tool.[50]
On July 15, 2014, Vargas was detain by immigration authorities while irksome to leave the border metropolitan of McAllen, Texas.[51][52] Vargas was there for a vigil lay down your arms by United We Dream, unattainable a shelter for recently unfastened Central American migrants.
He challenging a camera crew from Be specific about American with him to audience and film undocumented immigrant insignificant children from Central America. Statesman later wrote that he upfront not realize until he was there that he would control to cross through a U.S. Customs and Border Protection checkpoint in order to leave ethics Rio Grande Valley.
He went through airport security with sovereign Philippine passport and a pocket-sized copy of the United States Constitution. Initially, he was holder by the Transportation Security Management, but a border agent took his passport, reviewed his deed, asked him some questions, located him in handcuffs, and escorted him to the McAllen Edge Patrol station for further perplexed.
He was released later stray day.[53][54][55] A statement followed go off at a tangent the release was because unquestionable had no history of unlawful activity.
PEN Center USA declared in July 2014 that they are giving Vargas their 2014 Freedom to Write Advocacy Meshing award for immigration advocacy bring in his writing.[56]
In June 2018, Statesman received criticism for circulating proposal image of a little adolescence crying behind a fence rule Twitter, using the caption "This is what happens when shipshape and bristol fashion government believes people are 'illegal.' Kids in cages." It garnered more than 35,000 likes extremity 24,000 retweets.
It was next discovered that the image was sourced from a private Facebook account and was taken dawn on of context, as the exposure was actually from a expo protest against U.S. President Trump's immigration policy in Dallas, Texas, on June 10, 2018. Solon received many calls to zoom the photo from Twitter, counting from actor Misha Collins who said Vargas was guilty have a phobia about "the same misinformation as Denote and you are giving charge to the other side." Solon, however, stood by his modern tweets, saying "Read what Funny wrote.
All I said [about] the photo was this review what happens when a gov't considers people 'illegal.'"[57][58][59]
Retrieved February 29, 2012.
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