Eye on Culture

Race Matters Episode 4: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas Explores Race And Immigration

June 29, 2016
by Merleyn Bell
Jose Antonio Vargas holds a sign at a Mitt Romney presidential campaign rally in 2011 in a scene from his film “Documented.” Photo courtesy of Apo Anak Productions.
Jose Antonio Vargas holds a sign at a Mitt Romney presidential campaign rally in 2011 in a scene from his film “Documented.” Photo courtesy of Apo Anak Productions.

Episode summary 

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas was born in the Philippines, but moved to the United States when he was 12, and didn’t publicly reveal his immigration until a 2011 essay in The New York Times Magazine. 

"I thought I just was throwing away my entire career when I did this," said Vargas. "I didn't think that my professional life would actually be much better and much fuller and now that I'm honest with myself and with everybody else." 

Vargas and Race Matters host Merleyn Bell discuss his most recent projects about race, the United States and illegal immigrants including his MTV Special White People and his New York Times piece “My Life As An Undocumented Immigrant.” Vargas also talks about his attempt to get white Americans to define themselves by something other than their country of residence.

 

Race Matters
Jose Antonio Vargas
Race
Documentary Film
White People
New York Times
MTV

Merleyn Bell is a former art director at World Literature Today.