On June 14th, marking Immigrant Heritage Month and Children’s Day, and just a few weeks from its first anniversary, the Children Thrive Action Network (CTAN) hosted “I ❤️ My Immigrant Family,” a video celebration featuring the children of immigrants and their families, broadcast on multiple social media channels.
The mission of CTAN is to defend and support children in the United States in mixed-status immigrant families by engaging service providers and advocates at the national, state, and local levels who work directly with or on behalf of children in immigrant families.
The video celebration, hosted by Paola Ramos, renowned journalist and author of “Finding Latinx,” featured commentary, performances, and artwork from:
- U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA)
- U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
- Journalist Maria Hinojosa
- Entrepreneur Mapate Diop
- Multi-disciplinary artist and activist Alixa Garcia
- Soccer coach and mentor Mutanda Kwesele
- Vocalist and organizer Nina Marie Fernando
- DACA recipient Daishi Miguel Tanaka
- Tina, an Ohio mother who was deported to Morocco
- Claudia, a Mississippi teen whose mom needs a path to citizenship
The speakers and their families hail from Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, India, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, the Philippines, Senegal, Sri Lanka, and Zambia. Bios and photos of the speakers are available here.