US Based Celebrities Highlight Why It Is Important To Share Stories Of The Immigrant Experience

We have finally made it to the first half of the year,?and in the month of June, we stand with immigrants in the United States to celebrate Immigration Heritage Month. What started in 2013 as a way to capture the voices of immigrants in the US, continues to develop as a platform that celebrates diversity and creates an awareness of one’s identity and heritage.

Welcome.us, the non-profit that started this movement recently launched a new video campaign, ‘I Am An Immigrant’, where celebrity profiles including Kerry Washington, Lupita N’yongo, Harry Shum, Rosario Dawson, Cary Fukunga, Akon, Alan Cumming and more, are featured as they share their views on immigration in the United States?and?the importance?of their immigrant experiences?in?their American stories.

“What I think is so wonderful about America is the fact that it’s a society of immigrants,” says Ny’ongo.

“The notion of Americans not supporting immigrants to me is absurd. When you look at history, America was built on immigration,” Akon pitches.

“We are who we are because we are an immigrant population. We all came here because we want something better for our families; we want something better for our future,”?Tom Colicchio shares.

There is much ado about immigration ?in the United States these days, and it continues to remain?a?topic of ardent political debate. The most recent statistics report a little more than 42 million immigrants, which is about 13 percent of the total US population. While this is the population of new immigrants to the country, migration?to the US dates as far back as the 1600s —- Rosario Dawson sums up this concept quite perfectly. “People are like, well my family came over here on the Mayflower. I’m like exactly. Hello immigrant.”

The Voix?is a creative platform that empowers the voices of global storytellers. For more information, visit: Thevoix.com.