Austin, Texas— Today, a group of immigrant artists, visionaries, and creatives from United We Dream and Intelligent Mischief, co-hosted the first-of-its-kind Immigrant Creatives Kick-Back at the SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas. The event brought together dozens of immigrant, cultural strategists from Texas and across the country who are at the forefront of designing the visionary, pro-immigrant stories we need to fight back against mounting anti-immigrant policies, particularly in states like Texas, Arizona, Florida and Kansas.
Juanita Monsalve, Senior Marketing & Creative Director at United We Dream, said:
“The anti-immigrant attacks our communities are experiencing in states like Texas, Kansas, and Arizona, are fueled by dangerous disinformation and white supremacist ideologies that criminalize, scapegoat, and harm Black and brown immigrants. All across the country, these far-right assaults on immigrants attempt to drive our communities back into the shadows and out of the places we know are our homes. But immigrant youth have been clear: We know we belong here. We are proud of who we are. And we are here to stay.
United We Dream has been bringing immigrant creatives and artists together to fight back against anti-immigrant policies, using their superpowers of art, technology, gaming, and more to advance pro-immigrant visions for the world and our futures. The Immigrant Creatives Kick-Back offers a critical space for immigrant creatives and storytellers across the country, but especially right here in Texas where anti-immigrant attacks are rampant, to come together, bask in our immigrant pride, and innovate ways to advance people-centered storytelling and tactics to defend our communities. This first-of-its-kind meetup is an unwavering reminder that our immigrant communities know our strength. We’re carving out the spaces we need to build cultural power along with feelings of belonging and pride for ourselves and each other.”
