Thanks to unrelenting media narratives about race and immigration, some American citizens have a deeply distorted point of view on the topics. It’s a sad reality and for millions, this is a tough time in America.
Perhaps it will help to point out how the rise of ignorance and hate is also ushering in an era of tolerance, love, and wisdom. For one, Welcoming America is a nonprofit that helps communities across the country achieve prosperity by becoming more welcoming toward immigrants and all residents.
The film above was created for Welcoming America by San Francisco-based creative agency TBD. “As a primarily immigrant creative shop, the sensitivity around inclusion, diversity, and acceptance in our community aligns with our beliefs and what it means to be an American immigrant,” said TBD Founder, Rafael Rizuto.
Founded in San Francisco by
Two Short Films, One Unifying Story
For all the damage being done to America and American traditions, what’s not making headlines today is how many people care about other people, and how many more are actively helping immigrants “make it” in America. TBD’s two new shorts help shine a light on a deep, dark
- Portrait of a Dreamer is the story of Fidencio Fifeld-Perez, an undocumented artist who comes to the US at age seven. Fidencio documents his journey to America through papal
picados (Mexican papercutting) made of maps. Through this medium, he completes the iconic George Washington Athenaeum portrait on the dollar bill with a road map from Mexico to the United States. - In United Voices, Natalie Ringsmuth, founder of #unitecloud, shares her vision for uniting a town that is divided by ethnicity, religion, and immigration. In St. Cloud Minnesota, Natalie works with individual immigrants in her community to find common ground through sharing stories that unite rather than divide.
10 Years, 200 Inclusive Communities
Welcoming America’s movement has grown to a powerful network of nearly 200 municipal government and nonprofit members building more inclusive communities for 1 in 8 Americans, from Anchorage to Atlanta, Dayton to Boise and even to small rural towns in Minnesota and Nebraska.
The films are timed in conjunction with Welcoming America’s 10- year anniversary and in advance of their national meeting to be held in Pittsburgh in May 2019.
