The 2018 Oscars present us with much more than just accolades and award-winning actors. Beyond the hot dog slinging and movie-crashing shenanigans, this year’s Oscars gave activists a platform to talk about causes like #MeToo and gun reform. Shortly after host Jimmy Kimmel delivered his powerful monologue, Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar-winning best supporting actress, and Kumail Nanjiani, who was nominated for best original screenplay, utilized their time on stage to deliver a compelling message to, for and about DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients known as DREAMers.
After Nyong’o’s initial humorous intro—“We are the two actors you keep hearing about but whose names you keep having trouble pronouncing”—the duo quickly divulged into advocating for DREAMers. However, it’s no surprise that Nyong’o and Nanjiani are such strong proponents for DREAMers. As the two stars explained in their monologue, Nyong’o was born in Mexico and grew up in Kenya, and Nanjiani grew up in Pakistan and moved to Iowa.
“Dreams are the foundation of Hollywood and dreams are the foundation of America.” —Lupita Nyong’o
“So to all the Dreamers out there, we stand with you.” —Kumail Nanjiani#Oscars pic.twitter.com/MTDOhQe2FZ
— The A.V. Club (@TheAVClub) March 5, 2018
CNN explains that Nyong’o said, “Like everyone in this room and everyone watching at home, we are dreamers. We grew up dreaming of one day working in the movies. Dreams are the foundation of Hollywood, and dreams are the foundation of America.” After all, without immigrants like Nyong’o and Nanjiani, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see masterpieces like The Big Sick or 12 Years a Slave.
According to The New York Times, before presenting the nominees for achievement in production design, Nanjiani concluded the speech with, “To all the DREAMers out there, we stand with you.”
As the Huffington Post reveals, Nyong’o’s and Nanjiani’s inspiring speech comes amidst the current political fight over DACA. While DACA permits were supposed to expire today and the status of thousands of DREAMers is still uncertain, one thing is certain: Nyong’o and Nanjiani’s speech will continue to empower other immigrants to pursue their dreams.