Jose Antonio Vargas

Jose Antonio Vargas to Give Readings, Discussions, and Screening

Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Tony-nominated producer.

Western Wyoming Community College and Downtown Rock Springs will host Jose Antonio Vargas on campus and in the community on October 25th and 26th. 

Vargas will visit Rock Springs to promote his work regarding issues related to immigration. He is a leading voice for human rights of immigrants and founder of the non-profit media and culture organization, Define American, named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company (fastcompany.com). 

Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Tony-nominated producer. His writings include the best-selling memoir, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen and “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” published in the New York Times. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2008 for his coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting, online and in print. 

Vargas’s producing and directing work includes co-production of the Broadway play, What the Constitution Means to Me, which was nominated for two Tony awards. He produced and directed Documented, an autobiographical documentary feature film that received 2015 NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Documentary. MTV aired White People, an Emmy-nominated television special he produced and directed on what it means to be white in a demographically-changing America. 

His two day visit to Rock Springs includes the following events: 

Friday, October 25th: 

• 12:00-1:00PM – Documentary excerpt on Western’s campus in room 1302, followed by a discussion led by Vargas
• 6:30PM – Documentary screening at Broadway Theatre in Downtown Rock Springs, followed by a panel discussion with Vargas and community partners

Saturday, October 26th: 

• 11:00AM-12:00PM – Book reading by Vargas at Sidekicks Book and Wine Bar 

“Immigration isn’t just about politics, it’s about family. Jose’s story is about love and what we would do for our family. Western is lucky to have this opportunity to hear the intimate details of his family’s hardships, which sometimes have made their family the center of political debate,” stated Daisy Moore Student Success Advisor at Western. 

These events are sponsored by Sweetwater BOCES; Western Wyoming Community College, including the Sociology, Psychology, English, and History Departments; Downtown Rock Springs; Sidekicks Book and Wine Bar; and Wyo Say No (https://wyosayno.com).

The events featuring Vargas are free and open to the public. The community is encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Angela Thatcher at athatcher@westernwyoming.edu.