Humanizing the immigrant narrative, one story at a time.

Climate activist Xiye Bastida outside the White House.

Jose Antonio Vargas holding a protest sign saying 'I am an American w/o papers' and raising his hand.

Danyeli Rodriguez Del Orbe performing spoken-word poetry.

Tyrell and his mom Gina from the show A Million Little Things..

Liz Ortecho from the show Roswell, New Mexico.

Define American is a narrative change organization that uses the power of storytelling to humanize conversations about immigrants. We conduct original, cutting-edge research to identify narratives that inspire people to action. Our advocacy within entertainment, digital media, and the arts is creating an America where everyone belongs. Define American was founded in 2011 by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas and has been named one of the world’s most innovative companies by Fast Company.

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Featured Guide

Creativity is Boundless: An Inclusive Guide

The new Inclusive Guide is a roadmap for artist support organizations and grantmaking programs to make fellowships, grants, and residency programs more accessible to all, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

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Creativity is Boundless: An Inclusive Guide

Featured Tool

The Define American Immigrant Representation Scale

Our new assessment tool helps creators in entertainment tell more humanized, nuanced, and fully-realized stories through immigrant characters for television and film.

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