At Amherst College on April 9, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, filmmaker and immigration advocate Jose Antonio Vargas shared his personal journey as an undocumented immigrant and challenged the audience to rethink American identity, belonging and the meaning of citizenship.
Over 250 people attended the event hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI), with support from the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Program. The event was meticulously organized for Vargas’ safety and the broader political climate in mind.
Vargas spoke with great vulnerability about reuniting with his mother after 27 years, the ever-present fear of being arrested and the emotional toll of living undocumented in the U.S.
“Storytelling,” Vargas says, “is not a slice of the pie, it’s the pan.”
He urged the audience to understand that immigration is not a peripheral issue; it is central to the American story. He continued by challenging the widely held belief that the immigration system is “broken.”
“It’s not broken. It’s working exactly as it was designed to,” he said.
He emphasized the need for more nuanced, strategic storytelling that captures the full complexity of immigrant experiences.
“Why can’t we think of Mexicans and Filipinos and Vietnamese and Chinese as the Irish and the Italians and the Germans for the 21st century?” he asked. “What makes them any different?”
For many in the audience, Vargas’ presence and words were a moment of resonance. One of the attendees was Syd Cooney, 46, who works in the Amherst College Registrar’s office, and is a chair of the Employee Council and a co-chair of the LGBTQIA+ Colleague Resource Group.
“I loved his talk,” Cooney said. “He spoke with such passion and joy. It’s so hard to find joy in this moment, and he really inspired me. Especially since he was so fearless in showing up very publicly and unapologetically in these dark times.”
“This man has been fighting for his identity his whole life but he still has the compassion towards [me],” Cooney said. “I think it’s so important for us also to remember that all un-papered citizens are just like him, real people with hopes, dreams and families. People who pay taxes while getting little to nothing in return. People who may not even have had a say in coming to this country but have made it their home.”
Hosting an undocumented speaker in a non-sanctuary campus posed challenges. Raquel Wood, a key organizer and member of the ODEI team, explained the level of care that went into bringing Vargas to campus.
“Given the current political climate and risks to non-citizens, we thought through the risks to different communities and the benefits. We were in continual communication with his agents, and a member of the Office of DEI escorted him between locations,” Wood said. “We also worked with the Amherst College Police Department to assess risk and prepare for any scenarios.”
This communication went beyond logistics, it was about protecting a man who faces real threats simply for telling the truth. “If Jose had expressed any concern at any moment,” Wood added, “we would have changed the event. While this amazing opportunity to learn from him was important, so too was his safety and the safety of our community.”
“The key is being honest about risk, listening to the speaker’s comfort level and preparing accordingly. And always – keep learning. There’s so much depth and history to this topic,” Wood said.
Though student organizations were not directly involved in planning, a focused student discussion with Vargas was held the next morning and a faculty-student panel on sanctuary followed later in the week.
“The campus and community really turned out,” Wood said. “It was inspiring to see. It showed a desire from many to learn more.”
Vargas ended by reminding the audience that America’s strength lies not in exclusion but in its complexity: “I am fighting for an America that is as complicated and as conflicted as it is.”
Audrey Falkner can be reached at [email protected].
