Watch these celebrities kick off Immigrant Heritage Month in a powerful new video
June is Immigrant Heritage Month, and celebrities are kicking off the occasion by speaking out about immigrant rights in a powerful new video.
Released as part of the #IAmAnImmigrant campaign from nonprofit Welcome.us, the star-studded video includes America Ferrera, George Takei, Uzo Aduba, Jason Sudeikis, and Ilana Glazer. Together, the celebs recite the poem "I stand, Because I am...," written by Tony Award-winning actor and poet Lemon Andersen.
"My mother, a survivor of both polio and the Igbo genocide in Nigeria, came to the United States a half-century ago in search of greater opportunity and a brighter future," said Uzo Aduba, Emmy Award-winning actress of Orange Is the New Black fame, in a statement.
"This Immigrant Heritage Month, I celebrate the millions of immigrant mothers, like my own, who endured sleepless nights and an uncertain future so that their children could pursue the promise of America," she said.
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Through the video and Immigrant Heritage Month, the #IAmAnImmigrant campaign hopes to show the power of diversity, and honor immigrant sacrifice and struggle.
Welcome.us is also encouraging supporters to use the hashtags #IAmAnImmigrant and #IStandWithImmigrants to show their support for immigrant communities.
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You can find events around happening around the country in celebration of Immigrant Heritage Month here.
Topics Activism Social Good Celebrities
Katie Dupere was a Social Good reporter at Mashable from May 2015 to July 2017, covering activism, identities and social impact. Prior to her work with Mashable, Katie penned pieces about queerness, body positivity, sex and relationships for Gurl. She also previously contributed LGBTQ news coverage to PinkNews.