Continuing to be an advocate for immigrant families, Selena Gomez penned a touching op-ed for Time Magazine, shedding light on her personal connection to the country’s ongoing undocumented immigration story.
“In the 1970s, my aunt crossed the border from Mexico to the United States hidden in the back of a truck,” the singer and actress begins. “My grandparents followed, and my father was born in Texas soon after. In 1992, I was born a U.S. citizen thanks to their bravery and sacrifice. Over the past four decades, members of my family have worked hard to gain United States citizenship.”
She writes that undocumented immigration is an issue she thinks about every day.
“I never forget how blessed I am to have been born in this country thanks to my family and the grace of circumstance. But when I read the news headlines or see debates about immigration rage on social media, I feel afraid for those in similar situations. I feel afraid for my country,” Gomez writes.
She goes on to say that immigration is “is a human issue, affecting real people, dismantling real lives,” and “[the system’s] flawed and that we need rules and regulations.”
Gomez’s op-ed arrives ahead of her just-announced docuseries, Living Undocumented, a docuseries that follows the lives of undocumented immigrants living under the threats of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and immigration bureaucracy.
Gomez, who is serving as the show’s executive producer, announced the docuseries on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2g-JBaDBiv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=dlfix
“I am so humbled to be a part of Netflix’s documentary series Living Undocumented,” she wrote. “The immigration issue is more complex than one administration, one law or the story you hear about on the news. These are real people in your community, your neighbors, your friends—they are all part of the country we call home. I can’t wait for you guys to see this and hope it impacts you like it impacted me.”
Living Undocumented premiered on Netflix on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
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