As you probably already know, our disgrace of a president Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 27 banning all refugees from entering the country as well as placing a limit on travel to and from certain countries. Clearly this is an indirect way of banning Muslims from entering the country, since the limitations were placed on mostly Islamic states. This order instilled by the islamophobic cheeto puff directly affects the lives of those seeking asylum from their war-torn countries (some of which the U.S. is solely responsible for), and further ignites feelings of islamophobia and nativism in the United States, two concepts that should have been destroyed a long time ago.
Thankfully, those in attendance at the 89th Academy Awards refused to be silenced. Makeup artist Alessandro Bertolazzi expressed his pride in being an immigrant when he accepted an Oscar for makeup and hairstyling for Suicide Squad.
“I’m from Italy, I work around the world,” he said. “This is for all the immigrants.”
Oscar-winner Asgar Fahardi did not attend the award show in protest of Trump’s Muslim ban. The Iranian film director won an award for best foreign film The Salesman. For his acceptance speech, he shared a message about his opposition:
“Dividing the world into the U.S. and our enemies categories creates fear, a deceitful justification for aggression and war. These wars prevent democracy and human rights in countries which have themselves been victims of aggression.”
Mexican actor and producer Gael Garcia Bernal shared his take on Trump’s intentions to build the wall along the Mexican border while presenting the award for Best Animated Feature Film:
“As a Mexican, as a migrant worker, as a human being, I’m against any form of wall that wants to separate us.”
The Academy Awards openly opposing Trump’s policies is a huge step. Not only are renowned artists coming together to proudly represent where they come from, but they are also giving a mega platform for these issues to be brought up. They are fighting to be heard, a fight that all of us can join to make progressive change in the nation happen.
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