Black Panther’ Actor Publicly Announces His DACA Status, Lending Voice to Immigration

Since President Trump’s September decision to end DACA, Hollywood actor Bambadjan Bamba has been preparing for his coming out.

The “Black Panther” actor had not publicly revealed his immigration status, but Tuesday he took the bold step of joining a campaign to legalize immigrants like him, becoming the public face of DACA recipients working in Hollywood. Known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obama-era program granted temporary resident status to an estimated 800,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

“We know the industry is run by a lot of immigrants,” Bamba tells Variety. “There are immigrant actors,” he said, adding that “Hollywood can play a big part in at least changing policy so that it can be easier for actors to work in Hollywood.”

Bamba, 35, has managed to work for a decade in Hollywood, thanks in part to a work permit secured through DACA. He is currently has a recurring role on NBC’s “The Good Place” and will play a military leader in the upcoming Marvel film, “Black Panther,” directed by Ryan Coogler.

http://variety.com/2017/film/news/bl...ca-1202624929/

Wow, very brave of him. The trailer for the movie looks sick!

Jesus. Did not expect that at all. Speaks testament to what DACA recipients are capable of though.

:O whaaaat

WTF guys how are you all so fucking awesome and I'm just a mere Medic

Character actor Bambadjan Bamba, known for his roles in "Grey's Anatomy" "Suicide Squad" and "The Good Place," has come out as an undocumented immigrant.

Bamba told the Los Angeles Times that he was motivated to speak out following the Trump administration’s efforts to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which protects the undocumented children of immigrants.

Bamba said his parents brought him to America at age 10 after a civil war broke out in their home country of Cote D'Ivoire. He says he is currently registered under DACA.

"Immigrants are not criminals," said Bamba, 35, who will be seen in the new "Black Panther" movie. "We're not here to take away your jobs. We're here to give back. We're not just Mexicans or Latino. We're black, too. We're from the Middle East, from Asia, too. We're your neighbors, your doctors, the teachers of your children, and sometimes we're on TV in your home, characters that you love. We're just one of you."

He added, "The only difference is [that you have] a certain piece of paper that's supposed to allow you to navigate freely in the country."

Bamba, who is married and has a young daughter, said he was motivated by his little girl to fight for DACA.

"I look at my daughter and I'm like, 'If I don't do it, and DACA gets canceled, I could be separated [from her],'" he said. "We just don't know what's going to happen and I'd rather go out fighting."


https://www.google.com/amp/abcnews.g...%3fid=51440462

Ok hold on, just thought about this... Guy works in movies n shit, and he can't get em papers with so much money? or is he just a Stoic ass moffo and my new hero?

Unless you are Leonardo DiCaprio or Bratt Pitt there is no benefit for us. I don't know who that guy is.

^Fuckin' kidding me right? Plenty of big name celebrities already speak for us but we never had an actual actor disclose his status as one, let alone someone involved in the marvel movies which is a global hit whether you like it or not. Unless you got something to top what this guy is doing, trying being more appreciative.

Not true. And you /=/ everyone. Any positive support in the media is good for us regardless of who knows the person or not.

That's not what i meant. What i'm saying it would be huge if DiCaprio said i had DACA all those year. But nobody knows this guy with all due respect.