Washington, D.C. — United We Dream won its second-ever Shorty Impact Award for its food competition YouTube show, No Borders, Just Flavors (NBJF).
First launched earlier in April this year, NBJF is a 4-episode series featuring immigrant contestants going head to head in a family recipe cook-off. Immigrants and people of color were both in front of the camera and behind the scenes from planning, filming, and post-production.
The show reached 12 million people and received almost 200,000 YouTube views in just four weeks. The show also received attention from over 10 publications, including NBC News, Remezcla and NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour.
Juanita A. Monsalve, Executive Producer and Creative Director of NBJF and Senior Marketing and Creative Director at United We Dream said:
“This Shorty Impact Award for No Borders, Just Flavors! is a critical win in a time where authentic, uplifting stories about immigrants are few and far between. Our show, inspired by web series pioneers like Issa Rae (Insecure) and Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chávez (Gentefied), shares vignettes of immigrant joy, pride, and connection that the media often overlooks. Through the lens of food, we were able to uplift 8 unique immigrant stories, building new bridges of solidarity across nationalities and races for a stronger immigrant identity. We also knew the impact of the people behind the camera. This led us to intentionally curate a team of bold and innovative artists and creators who shared these identities as lgbtq+ immigrants and people of color. We’re so proud to be recognized for our storytelling and are energized to keep this conversation going in season 2!”
