Tuesday marked the inaugural speaker series event sponsored by the Media School. Vargas screened his documentary, “Documented,” which tells the story of his life as an undocumented immigrant in America and tells the IU community about his experiences and work.
Vargas joked during his talk that this is one of the first times he has been invited to speak by a journalism program.
“I think sometimes journalists don’t know what to do with me because I blur so many lines,” he said to a full audience in the Indiana Memorial Union Whittenberg Auditorium.
But speaker series organizer Anne Kibbler , director of communications and media relations for the Media School, said Vargas’ different hats give him a broad appeal to students.
“I was interested in him because he has been a practicing print journalist, and he has made a documentary,” said Kibbler. “It’s also a very timely issue.”
Vargas is a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist who has written for the Washington Post and became well known in the industry yet again when he wrote about his undocumented immigrant status for the New York Times Magazine in 2011.
Since then, he has used his personal story to open the dialogue on what it means to be an American through speeches across the country and his campaign called ?Define America.
In July, he was arrested by immigration authorities in McAllen, Texas, and released several hours later after being detained and questioned.
“I was put in the same detention center as the children I was trying to document,” he said. “They said they had been waiting for me.”
Vargas said despite being labeled an activist and advocate, he is first and foremost a storyteller.
“I’m beyond honored to speak at one of the oldest journalism schools in the country and be honored for what I do and not just who I am,” he said.
Vargas spoke about coming to America at the age of 12 and working toward his American dream of being a political journalist.
He said documents like drivers licenses, which most Americans take for granted, are things he had to fabricate in order to get a job.
“I hope you frame that thing and kiss it and bow to it,” he said to audience members, referring to a driver’s license.
Vargas said he strives to erase misconceptions Americans have about undocumented people and emphasize the economic contributions made by undocumented people. He said that undocumented workers in Indiana paid $108.9 million in state and local taxes in 2010 and quipped that undocumented people pay taxes on every pumpkin spice latte just like every other American.
Vargas also spoke about his next project, a documentary on what it means to be white.
“People like me are always asked who we are and where we’re are from, but we never turn around and ask them back,” he said.
Vargas got some material for his new documentary project during his visit to telecommunications associate professor Julia Fox’s T312 Politics and the Media class.
“He wanted to probe what the students thought about being white,” Fox said.
Fox said Vargas was very engaging with her class and that the 75 minutes passed quickly.
Vargas’ visit also left some IU students viewing immigration in a new light.
John Shockley , a freshman journalism student, said he attended the documentary screening and talk because it was required for one of his classes, but added that he left with new knowledge regarding the issues facing America’s immigration system.
“I thought it was enlightening about how difficult it is to gain citizenship even if you came here as a child,” ?Shockley said.
Educating Americans is one of Vargas’ main goals.
“I’m not here to flaunt my illegality but just to show you the cracks in the system,” ?Vargas said.
