Photo by Constanza Gallardo
Katarina Diquez / Contributing writer
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas told his story as undocumented immigrant Monday, Oct. 1, on an event held at the Biscayne Bay Campus.
He emigrated to the United States from the Philippines when he was 12. He didn’t know that his paperwork was fake until he turned 16.
“I was in the business of telling the truth, and I kept lying,” he said.
In 2011, Vargas founded Define American, a nonprofit organization that seeks to elevate the conversation about the immigration reform, the DREAM Act and other immigration issues by inviting the people to share their stories. His request is simple: let’s talk.
DIQUEZ: Why haven’t you gotten deported?
VARGAS: That’s usually the first thing people ask me when they learn I’m an undocumented immigrant or, put more rudely, an “illegal.” I spend every day wondering what, if anything, the government plans to do with me, and I keep asking the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency what my deal is.
DIQUEZ: How do you define an American?
VARGAS: I define an American as someone that calls this country their home. I define as an American someone who wants to work hard and contribute to this country.
DIQUEZ: Why do you support the immigration reform?
VARGAS: I support immigration reform because it is actually not only about immigration; you have to tie it into the very nature of how America is changing. When we are talking about immigrant rights, we are also talking about citizenship rights and I think it’s interesting that we can probably talk to a lot of undocumented people who can prove to American citizens what it’s like to be an American. With values and attitudes like work hard, contribute, respect other people. Having undocumented people shows Americans why America is so special.
DIQUEZ: What do you think about Obama and Romney’s immigration policies?
VARGAS: President Obama’s immigration policy is much more married to reality. Mitt Romney’s? I just tune out when Romney talks about self-deportation; it sounds almost comical. It is completely unrealistic and incredibly disrespectful.
DIQUEZ: What do you think is the future of the DREAMers?
VARGAS: I am optimistic that immigration reform is going to happen. I think the DREAMers have completely pushed this issue. They really deserve the credit for everything that’s been happening here and for the fact that the DREAM Act is so tied together with the immigration reform.
DIQUEZ: Like many immigrants, it is a long and arduous process to finally obtain a visa or become residents, legal aliens and even citizens. Have you ever considered going through some sort of process to obtain your documents?
VARGAS: The first time I told any adult that was undocumented was when I was 16. By the time they tried to do something, there were already four people who wanted to adopt me. Unfortunately, I was 16 and it was too late. My grandparents’ idea was for me to get under-the-table jobs and then marry an American. Guess what? I came out as gay when I was 17. Then I started lying. After I won the Pulitzer Prize, they told me there’s a thing called an “Extraordinary Ability Visa”, which I could qualify for. But because I admitted to breaking the law, I don’t qualify for it anymore.
– This interview was made possible by the National Association of Hispanics in Journalism.
About Post Author
