Jose Antonio Vargas

Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Tony-nominated theatrical producer whose career has engaged with significant conversations in American public life. Vargas was part of The Washington Post team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting for coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting online and in print. Over his career, he has written for daily newspapers and national magazines including Rolling Stone and The New Yorker, and served as a senior contributing editor at Huffington Post, where he launched the Technology and College sections. Prior to that, he covered technology and video game culture, HIV/AIDS in the nation's capital, and the presidential campaign for The Washington Post. Politico named him one of 50 Politicos to Watch.

Vargas's career shifted when he publicly identified as an undocumented American in the essay "My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant" in The New York Times Magazine. The piece drew widespread media and political attention, becoming the most shared article on Google for two weeks and prompting "undocumented immigrant" to trend on Twitter. He later appeared on the cover of TIME magazine with fellow undocumented immigrants as part of a follow-up cover story he wrote.

As a filmmaker, Vargas wrote, directed, and produced the autobiographical film "Documented: A Film by an Undocumented American," which chronicles his journey from the Philippines to the United States, his discovery of his immigration status, and his decision to reveal his undocumented status publicly. The film was released theatrically, broadcast on CNN, and streamed on Netflix, earning a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Documentary. MTV aired "White People," an Emmy-nominated television special he produced and directed, exploring what it means to be young and white in a changing America. His work also extends to theater, as he co-produced Heidi Schreck's play "What the Constitution Means to Me," which opened on Broadway and received two Tony Award nominations.

A prominent voice for immigrant rights, Vargas founded the nonprofit immigrant storytelling organization Define American, recognized by Fast Company as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies. He explores immigration issues as host of the YouTube show and podcast "Define American with Jose Antonio Vargas." Through Define American, Vargas advocated for media organizations to use the term "undocumented" instead of "illegal immigrant," contributing to the Associated Press decision to change its terminology. His best-selling memoir, "Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen," was published by HarperCollins, with an updated edition released with new material.

Vargas has received numerous honors for his journalism and advocacy, including the Freedom to Write Award from PEN Center USA, honorary degrees from Emerson College, Colby College, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and the Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice. He was appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees. After 31 years of living in the United States without legal status, Vargas obtained a three-year O-1 "extraordinary ability" visa after receiving a waiver of his 10-year bar. An elementary school bearing his name opened in the Mountain View, California, school district where he attended middle and high school, reflecting the enduring impact of his work in journalism, immigration advocacy, and storytelling.