Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and undocumented immigrant advocate, will visit The University of Alabama Monday, Oct. 29, to discuss his documentary series “Is This Alabama?” and advocacy journalism in a lecture sponsored by the College of Communication and Information Sciences.
Vargas, who was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team that reported on the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007, revealed he was an undocumented immigrant in a 2011 essay for The New York Times Sunday Magazine before writing a cover story for Time Magazine on the subject in June 2012. Vargas moved from the Philippines at age 12 to live with his grandparents.
Though Vargas will speak at The University of Alabama-Birmingham Tuesday on immigration reform and policy, his talk on the 29th will focus on advocacy journalism.
“We invited him to come speak because we think students need to see that there is more than one way to do journalism,” George Daniels, associate journalism professor, said. “He is doing journalism, but he is doing it in a way to make a difference.”
Vargas’ “Is This Alabama?” documentary series features four short videos, directed by Chris Weitz of “Twilight Saga: New Moon,” that explore Alabama’s history of civil rights issues in addition to speaking to Alabamians who support and oppose HB-56. The project’s website, isthisalabama.org, cites the bill as “the most extreme state-level anti-immigrant bill passed to date.”
Daniels said whatever side people take on the issue, there’s no doubt that journalists, public relations officials and documentary filmmakers play a role in the conversation.
“Alabama is still talking about the political issues that surround immigration reform,” Daniels said. “Wherever you stand on HB-56, you can acknowledge that this is an issue very much still in play and has not been resolved.”
Daniels said though discussions of such polarized topics can often bring the best and the worst out of people, he hopes Monday’s event will remain civil.
“We’re hoping that the worst will steer clear of our campus,” Daniels said.
Vargas was arrested in Minnesota on Oct. 8 for driving without a valid license on his way to speak on a college campus. Daniels said he doesn’t expect Vargas will have similar problems when he enters Alabama.
“I think that that concern has been addressed, though you can’t say that nothing will ever happen,” Daniels said. “But if we keep the focus on the learning opportunity he will offer on campus, we’re not focusing on the political issues. We think there is as much to talk about with his documentary work as there is with the political issues.”
