3 questions to ask yourself about US citizenship | Jose Antonio Vargas

At age 16, journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas found out he was in the United States illegally. Since then, he's been thinking deeply about immigration and what it means to be a US citizen -- whether it's by birth, law or otherwise. In this powerful talk, Vargas calls for a shift in how we think about citizenship and encourages us all to reconsider our personal histories by answering three questions: Where did you come from? How did you get here? Who paid?

[BD-lqid]

advertising you're here illegally... ballsy move. its gotten people deported in the past.

[Sturmavk]

How ridiculous. I could say I’m a Swede, a Russian or that I’m a Chinese citizen without papers. Yet when I go to any of those countries to claim my citizenship benefits they will say “NO”. Same for any country in the world. What makes illegals in America feel so entitled?

[David-uncs]

I haven't looked yet, but I'm sure the comment section will be polite and respectful and full of people displaying empathy.

[spiderstealth]

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has entered the chat

[Sittininthesun]

Every nation has borders and immigration laws and the right to enforce them.

I miss the good ole days when TED was informative.

[cdyne]

This is crazy. Your grandparents broke the law as it currently stood back then. You justify it by reciting the inequalities in the distant past but that doesn't change the fact that they broke the law

[RayWilliamJohansen]

I don't like trump but this type of thinking irks me, there are laws and those laws should not be overlooked or ignored.

[mlgtactics]

How is he an American without papers? Going through the citizenship process to get the papers is what makes you a citizen if you were born outside the US.

[solocam]

Married to a Hispana ... her father received citizenship the right way. Took many years and lots of money. He knew more about American history than most. His proudest day was his certification as a citizen. Sorry... illegal is illegal. Get in line and respect the rule of law. My wife has many family members who are doing it the right way. Parents telling you its ok, .is not ok. For whatever reason. When you understand the process as an adult, get it done. Period.

[kalki]

His grandfather did something illegal, I'm not blaming him but he doesn't have to defend his actions now. Getting a green card legally is hard but laws are formulated for a reason. What if the people who come in illegally are dangerous?
I just think they should talk about reforming the system rather than dismissing it altogether.

This is not making a good case about immigration issues. I know people who took the time and made the sacrifices to do things "the right way" (i.e. followed current U.S. law). U.S. citizenship is not a human right. People all over the world are not born with the right to become U.S. citizens. U.S. immigration law is not there to prevent someone from exercising their right to U.S. citizenship.

If you want to become a U.S. citizenship, then follow the steps necessary to do it legally. If people believe immigration law is unjust, then work to change it. But coming here illegally then complaining about immigration law is not going to win allies.

[MOREMISHU]

Why is this a TED Talk? Simple: Your grandfather committed a crime and you being here is illegal. My wife came to the USA from Poland legally and it took her 15 years to get her LEGAL citizenship. Leave, come back and do it legally.

[rainbowchamelion]

Your Grandfather paid and committed 2 crimes knowingly. Now your paying the price! Curiously you don‘t mention anything about your grandfather. In the words of another „if your grandfather robs a bank, you don‘t get to keep the money“.

[kirkturner]

Sorry, you’re not an American without papers, you sir, are a Filipino.

[godfreyjones]

His whiteboard is missing the word "not".

[TheShooShooFly]

I hope people know that this video doesn’t represent all, if not many, Filipinos who got their green card legitimately. Who went to the US for work or study and worked extremely hard to earn their rights to live there. Unfortunately, we live in a modern world wherein it’s easy to perceive an entire race based off of one single example. Nothing against Ted (the person on the video). I think his family was bold and brave. But I hope Ted (the channel) also feature an american filipino w/papers - cause there are tons of them too. To the youth and dreamers who view these videos too - I hope you discover that there are also examples of filipinos that worked hard for legitimate ways to immigrate to the US. This is just one out of a hundred thousand ways you can achieve a dream.

[natt]

This is really insulting to those who have actually waited and gone through the process to become a US citizen.

[paddy]

I’m an American without papers... then you ain’t an American

[SashaTownsendTulsa]

My maternal grandparents came here from the Philippines legally in the 70s when my mom was a child. I’m not sure when my dad’s side of the family came to this country, but I know my grandfather’s life story. When I think about where I came from, I think about my grandparents and their life stories; I think about the people, who risked so much and gave so much of themselves to help their brothers and sisters to come here legally in the 1970s. I think of the great aunts and uncles, and their smiling faces, and what a huge impact that had on my life. I think about family, and the fact that they didn’t want to leave anyone who wanted to come to the US behind.

Immigration is an emotionally charged issue that needs to be discussed by open and compassionate people who disagree. Thank you for bringing up an important issue.

[onwul]

To sum up, his grandfather snuck him illegally into the US because the was "no simple or easy way to get here". He then goes to argue that most Americans came to the US "not the right way" and that most Americans are ignorant of the history and their origins. He concludes by justifying his status and by blaming the US for not defining citizenship how he wants it.
So many things that are wrong with this...