Pulitzer Prize winner Vargas discusses immigration’s effects on US

For Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, many of those who care about immigration don’t even know it.

At a talk Saturday at the Campus Y, Vargas stressed that immigration concerns all U.S. citizens.

“Everybody who eats a hamburger cares about immigration,” Vargas said in an interview.

“It’s the migrant farm workers, most of whom are Hispanic, many of whom are undocumented, that are making the lettuce and tomato costs as low as they are.”

Vargas, who is from the Philippines, was catapulted into notoriety following his article in The New York Times in June 2011, in which he revealed that he is an undocumented immigrant.

“It’s very disorienting to now be a story, instead of just writing the story,” Vargas said.

In an interview, Vargas said he was prepared to receive hate mail in the wake of his article.

“I just wish people would spell check their hate. You call people names, at least spell it right,” he said.

What he wasn’t expecting was the large number of emails from young people in the same position aspiring to be doctors or lawyers.

With tens of thousands of undocumented students in North Carolina’s schools, Vargas asked the audience, “Don’t we want more taxpayers, not less?

“In 2010, undocumented people like me paid $11.2 billion in state and local taxes. Do you ever hear that figure?” he asked.

Vargas was speaking as part of the UNC-Duke Immigrant Advocacy Network’s Immigration Awareness Week.

The cross-university group recently received a Kenan-Biddle grant of $5,000, part of which was used to cover the cost of the event.

Vargas described his reliance on what he termed a “21st-century underground railroad” of supporters, without whom he said he wouldn’t be in the position he is in today.

“Every undocumented person has at least five people who are American citizens who are helping us out,” he said.

“So we’re not talking about an issue that impacts 11 million people, we’re talking about an issue that affects 66 million people at least.”

Co-chairman of Students United for Immigrant Equality Emilio Vicente said he hopes the message people took away from the talk is that everyone needs to get involved, not just undocumented immigrants.

UNC freshman Anhthu Vuong, who attended the talk, said she agrees.

“I think immigration is one of the biggest issues right now,” she said.

“The people who are just standing on the side not doing anything about the issue are part of the problem as well.”

Contact the University Editor at university@dailytarheel.com.