Celebrities, Elected Officials, and Community Leaders Join Together to Celebrate Fifth Annual Immigrant Heritage Month

WASHINGTON, DC – Throughout June, a diverse group of artists, entertainers, elected officials, local and national organizations, and community and business leaders representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia celebrated the fifth annual Immigrant Heritage Month (IHM). IHM is a nationwide celebration highlighting the countless contributions that immigrants and their descendants have made to our nation over generations.

New to IHM this year was a series of public art installations held in cities across the country, including Washington, DC, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, San Diego, andSalt Lake City. Community members and local officials created unique art by adding flags of their identified heritage to interactive, city-specific exhibits. At the end of each celebration, each city was presented with the completed art, which visually represented the diversity of the community. Additionally, the inaugural Celebrate Immigrants Awards were presented to ten individuals who demonstrated exceptional dedication to the spirit of immigrant heritage, culture, and diversity.

A diverse and bipartisan cohort of governors and mayors representing 41 states issued a combined 194 proclamations to formally recognize Immigrant Heritage Month, and the immigrants who have impacted their communities.

Since its launch in 2014, Immigrant Heritage Month has grown into a powerful nationwide celebration of immigrants and immigration in the United States. Highlights from this year’s celebration include:

“Celebrate Immigrants” Community Celebrations: The “Celebrate Immigrants” National Tour hosted six marquee events in six cities. Day-long, pop-up events were held in Washington, DC, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, San Diego, and Salt Lake City. Each event was unique and reflected the identity of the city, with cultural performances, information fairs, speeches from elected officials and community members, and more.

Washington, DC kicked off IHM celebrations on June 5

Young Chicagoan adds flag to art installation

Performers dance at Atlanta IHM event

San Diego Mayor Faulconer participates in an IHM press conference

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) selects flag to add to art installation

Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) participates in IHM art installation in Houston

Celebrate Immigrants Awards: On June 25, ‘I Am An Immigrant’ announced the recipients of the inaugural Celebrate Immigrants Awards. The awardees are immigrants and allies who have made contributions to their community and empowered immigrant communities to thrive. This year’s recipients are:
José Andrés – Michelin-starred Chef and Humanitarian
Giannis Antetokounmpo – Professional Basketball Player, Milwaukee Bucks
Greg Casar – City Council Member, Austin TX
Diane Guerrero – Author and Actress (Orange Is The New Black)
Kumail Nanjiani – Comedian, Actor and Writer (The Big Sick)
Bee Nguyen – Member of Georgia House of Representatives and Executive Director of Athena’s Warehouse
John McCain – Senior United States Senator from Arizona
Elias Rosenfeld – Student, DACA Recipient, and Advocate
Peter Ujvagi – Community Organizer and City Council Member, Toledo, OH
UndocuMedia – Nonprofit Advocacy Organization and Social Media Influencer

Celebrity Engagement, Digital & Social Media

On Friday, June 1, the ‘I Am An Immigrant’ campaign released a powerful celebrity video featuring Bellamy Young (Scandal), Javier Muñoz (Hamilton) and Shannon Woodward (Westworld), among others.

Immigrant Heritage Month hashtags (#CelebrateImmigrants) generated more than 437 million impressions across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram throughout the month of June.

Social media influencers and celebrities helped spread the #CelebrateImmigrants message on social media, including Lin Manuel Miranda, Angela Yee, Kumail Nanjiani, Emma González, and Bobby Cannavale.

Elected Officials, Business Leaders & Community Voices

During June, elected officials and other influencers authored op-eds, sharing why they believe it is important to stand with the immigrant community.Highlights included:
Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL) & Randy Hultgren (R-IL)shared their own immigration stories and encouraged all Americans to reflect on their own personal immigration stories.
Chris Romer, President & CEO of Vail Valley Partnershiphighlighted immigration as an important piece of our economic growth and sustainability.
Actor Wilmer Valderrama released an exclusive video op-ed with Mic about his immigrant experience.
Pace University President Marvin Krislov expressed Pace University’s dedication to providing access to the power of education for students from all backgrounds.
Mayor of Anaheim Tom Tait discussed the city of Anaheim’s rich history of immigrants and many ways they have enriched the area and contributed to California’s economic successes.

Elected Officials Show their Support

Governors and mayors representing 41 states issued a combined 194 proclamations recognizing June as Immigrant Heritage Month:
Mayors including Muriel Bowser (Washington, DC), Jim Donchess(Nashua, NH), Rahm Emanuel (Chicago), Kevin Faulconer (San Diego), Jim Kenney (Philadelphia), and Jackie Biskupski (Salt Lake City), issued proclamations celebrating June as Immigrant Heritage Month.

Governors included Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R), Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R), Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (R), Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval (R), New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D), Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D), South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R), Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R), and West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) among others.

On June 6, the House Democratic Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus,Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congressional Black Caucushosted a tweetstorm, where over 70 Member of Congress engaged on their social media platforms to celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month.

On June 12, the New Democrat Coalition hosted a tweetstorm in honor of Immigrant Heritage Month.

Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard gave an impassioned floor speech, Whip Steny Hoyer andCongressman Joe Crowleyreleased statements, and a number of lawmakers expressed support on social media, including:
U.S. Senators John McCain(R-AZ), Chuck Schumer(D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL) Catherine Cortez-Masto(D-NV), Dianne Feinstein(D-CA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

U.S. Representatives Joe Crowley (D-NY), Joaquin Castro (D-TX),Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Val Demings (D-FL)

Business & Nonprofit Partners

Business and nonprofit partners joined the campaign this year to honor Immigrant Heritage Month:
Business partners included the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, 1871, and DanzArts.

Nonprofit partners included Latinos Progresando, the Council on American–Islamic Relations, The Dream Center at the University of Utah, the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City, the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium, and the Karen Organization of San Diego.

Partner events included:
A workshop offering free and high-quality legal assistance with applications for U.S. citizenship, presented by Project Citizenship.
A 48-hour hackathon in New York including a keynote speaker and expert panel and celebrating immigrant heritage.
An Immigrant Journey Awards Gala in North Texas honoring exceptional immigrants and advocates.

#CELEBRATE IMMIGRANTS

We all know someone with an immigration experience or have an immigrant heritage story of our own. Join us in sharing your story for a chance to be featured on our official channels!