A few weeks ago, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas published an article in which came out about his undocumented immigrant status. Tired of staying in the shadows, he's using the moment to launch the project Define American to encourage a more civil, inclusive debate about immigration in America.Jose is calling on folks to stand with him and sign this Change.org petition calling for a new national conversation on immigration. He's planning on bringing the signatures of support to his upcoming appearance on The Colbert Report:
We may not all agree on how to fix it, but one thing we can all agree on is that our immigration debate is out of control and our immigration system is badly broken. I believe that not only can we do better, but that we must.More here: Jose Antonio Vargas Will Bring Over 75,000 Pledges to Stephen Colbert. To learn more about the Define American campaign for immigration reform, go here. And be sure to watch this video with Jose's story.
Will you sign the pledge to stand with me -- Jose Antonio Vargas -- in saying that it's time for a new national conversation on immigration? Define American. Pledge to ask questions, debate, listen, and learn.
Some would say my story is the tale of a hard-working immigrant who defines the American dream: achieving success against great odds, working hard, and even earning a Pulitzer Prize for my reporting. Still, despite everything I've achieved, the law still says I am not technically an American. I am undocumented.
I want to ask my fellow Americans: what would you do, if you found out at age 16 that you didn't have the right papers? As a journalist, my job is to ask questions that spark conversation. Now I am asking you to join in.
Sign the pledge to "Define American," share it with everyone you know, and then leave us a comment about what you would do if you found out you were undocumented. I will bring your comments with me as I head to the next round of media interviews.