2023 Define American Fellowship

Supporting immigrant artists and storytellers in their creative and professional development.

About the fellowship

The world is moved by stories and storytellers. Culture is changed by compelling narratives. 

The Define American Fellowship supports artists and storytellers who happen to be immigrants and are working in narrative art forms. The five fellows in the 2023 cohort will participate in workshops and conversations around: defining and broadening their audiences, demystifying career paths and opportunities, and building support for a creative practice both within their individual communities as well as in the larger national arts community.  

The 2023 Define American Fellowship is made possible through a grant from the Kresge Foundation.


Meet the Fellows

Ana Armengod

Multidisciplinary artist, 2019 Fellow
she/her

Jason Fitzroy Jeffers

Filmmaker, 2022 Fellow
he/him

Ju Hong

Podcaster and activist, 2022 Fellow
he/him

Nicole Solis-Sison

Artist and creative director, 2022 Fellow
she/her/they/them

Tracy Chahwan

Cartoonist and illustrator, 2022 Fellow
she/her

Yehimi Cambrón

Artist and activist, 2022 Fellow
she/her

Safwat Saleem 

Multidisciplinary Artist
he/him

Fatima Bhojani

Writer and Essayist
she/her

Vinnoth Krishnan

Filmmaker
he/him

Nour Al Ghraowi

Poet and Nonfiction Writer
she/her

PAGES Matam

Poet and Filmmaker
they/he

Ash Goh Hua

Filmmaker, 2021 Fellow
any pronouns

Brian Herrera

Graphic designer, 2019 Fellow
he/him

Charlotte Abotsi

Writer and filmmaker, 2021 Fellow
she/her

Christian Arteaga

Actor, 2019 Fellow
he/him

Danyeli Rodriguez Del Orbe

Community organizer, writer, and spoken word performer, 2020 Fellow
she/her

Daveed Baptiste

Designer and photographer, 2021 Fellow
he/him

Elnaz Javani

Multidisciplinary artist, 2019 Fellow
she/her

féi hernandez

Writer and visual artist, 2021 Fellow
they/them

Fernando Lopez

Photographer, 2019 Fellow
he/him

Goolam Saber

Multi-disciplinary visual artist, 2020 Fellow
he/him

Grecia Huesca Dominguez

Author, poet, and Founder, 2020 Fellow
she/her

Julie Yeeun Kim

Singer/songwriter, 2019 Fellow
she/her

Karla Daniela Rosas

Painter, 2019 Fellow
they/she

Kenia R. Guillen

Filmmaker, 2021 Fellow
she/her

Lilian Shtereva

Painter, 2019 Fellow
she/her

Maryam Faridani

New media artist, 2020 Fellow

Yao Xiao

Cartoonist and illustrator, 2021 Fellow
she/her


2024 Define American Fellowship

Who should apply

Applications for the 2024 Define American Fellowship will open in January 2024.

The Define American Fellowship is open to immigrant artists working in a lead creative role in narrative-oriented art forms (writing, filmmaking, visual storytelling, theatre, illustration, podcasting, etc.) with some experience in their chosen medium.

Examples of experience level:

(These ranges are only to be used as reference and are NOT a requirement for application.)

  • Filmmakers who have completed 2-3 short films 
  • Writers who have published 2-3 short-form pieces and/or 1-2 books
  • Theatre makers who have written and/or directed 1-3 produced plays
  • Illustrators/Cartoonists who have published 2-3 pieces 
  • Podcasters with an established show they consistently either produce and/or write for
  • Digital storytellers with a consistent audience and content output

What you’ll gain from being a fellow

  • A $5,000 stipend
  • An in-person gathering
  • Regular check-ins with Define American staff
  • 6-8 professional development workshops and facilitated conversations
  • Introductions to experienced artists and storytellers in their field
  • An opportunity to apply for additional project-based funding

Conversations and workshops may include:

  • Telling your own story
  • Building digital audience through an artist website and social media
  • Finding and applying for arts grants and other funding 
  • Changing culture in the worlds of entertainment media, the arts, and digital storytelling 
  • The role of an artist in intersectional and ethical storytelling 
  • Best practices for engaging community organizations in your creative practice

Eligibility requirements:

  • Must be at least 18 years old at time of application
  • Must have been born outside of the U.S. and currently living in the U.S.
  • Must be an Immigrant American, regardless of current immigration status. Undocumented, DACAmented, naturalized citizens, green card holders, refugees, and asylum seekers are encouraged and welcome to apply.
  • Cannot be enrolled in a degree-seeking program during the length of this fellowship (May-November 2024)

Applications for the 2024 Define American Fellowship open in January 2024.

For questions regarding the fellowship, please email fellowship@defineamerican.com

F.A.Q.

We loosely define this as mediums rooted in storytelling: writing, filmmaking, photography, theatre, illustration, design, comics, podcasting, etc. We find we can be most helpful to artists working and creating in these fields but we are open to other mediums as long as you can explain the narrative angle of your work.

This fellowship is best suited to artists who have solid experience in their craft and are looking to expand their network/following/career. Some examples of experience level:

  • Filmmakers who have completed 2-3 short films
  • Writers who have published 2-3 short-form pieces and/or 1-2 books
  • Theatre makers who have written and/or directed 1-3 produced plays
  • Illustrators/Cartoonists who have published 2-3 pieces
  • Podcasters with an established show they consistently either produce and/or write for
  • Digital storytellers with a consistent audience and content output

(These ranges are only to be used as reference and are not a requirement for application.)

No. The reason for this is both because an artist in a degree-seeking program is already receiving support from their educational institution and also because we find that fellows enrolled in educational programs often don’t have the time to get everything out of the fellowship they could otherwise.

No. This fellowship is open to those who were born outside the U.S. and currently living in the U.S. because so many other fellowship and arts grant programs have requirements around citizenship and immigration status that exclude immigrants and especially undoc+ applicants.

Regular fellowship workshops, check-ins, and other activities will take place online. We plan to have at least one in-person fellowship gathering in 2024 (dependent on COVID restrictions). Travel, meals, and accommodations will be provided for all fellows attending the in-person gathering.

You are welcome to show work from various mediums. We suggest that you focus on the parts of your practice that exemplify storytelling since this fellowship is geared towards artists in narrative art fields.

Each application is carefully reviewed by fellowship staff, alumni, and creative professionals. Applicants that are selected for the final stage will be invited for an interview.

Define American is a culture change organization that uses the power of narrative to humanize conversations about immigrants. Our advocacy within news, entertainment, and digital media is creating an America where everyone belongs. We were founded in 2011 by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas and named one of the world’s most innovative companies by Fast Company.

Each fellow receives a stipend of $5,000.

All fellows receive their stipend at the beginning of the fellowship. In order to receive the funds, fellows need to sign a fellowship agreement and submit an invoice and W9.

All applicants will be notified of a decision by the end of March 2024.

The 2024 fellowship runs from May 1 – November 30, 2024.

Make a gift and help us create an America where everyone belongs by supporting our work.