Kids & Family

Jose Antonio Vargas Speaks About Immigration Thursday

The Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist and graduate of Mountain View High School made headlines when he revealed his undocumented status last year.

The last time Jose Antonio Vargas visited Mountain View High School he to a roomful students he had been in the country illegally since he was a boy.

A year later, he hopes to have an open dialogue with anyone who wants to listen—and join in a friendly debate about immigration reform at his alma mater on Thursday night.

One of Mountain View High School's most well-known graduates, Vargas  on national media that he was sent to the United States as a child and only found out when he went to get his driver's license. Sympathetic adults in the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District formed a network of support to advise him as he finished his schooling and helped him go to college. 

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Born in the Philippines, Vargas has, since his "coming out," been in this country with the knowledge of the U.S. government .

Though he can't work, he continues to travel and collect the stories of other undocumented immigrants through his non-profit Define American, now in its ninth month. The purpose is to open up a dialogue about immigration reform, including the aspect of those like himself, who were brought to the country when they were young.

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According to Vargas, Define American's stories platform has collected nearly 400 stories from undocumented Americans and their supporters, whom he calls the "21st Century Underground Railroad."

One of the testimonials, this one on MTV, comes from another Mountain View resident and former Los Altos High School student Mandeep Chahal. In 2011, Chahal–a student at UC Davis–and her mother faced deportation and in U.S. Customs and Immigration Policy allowed her to stay temporarily.

The public Q&A event takes place on Thursday, Mar. 1 at 7 p.m. at Spartan Theater in MVHS, 3535 Truman Ave, Mountain View, CA 94040.

If you can't make it, join Mountain View Patch online for a live and interactive blog conversation. You'll be able to instant message your questions and we'll try to get them to Vargas for an answer. Check out Twitter and Facebook page for updates and the link.


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