Jose Antonio Vargas is an accomplished journalist, filmmaker, and media entrepreneur known for his groundbreaking work in raising awareness of immigrant rights and promoting social justice through storytelling. He is the founder of Define American, a non-profit media and culture organization fighting anti-immigrant hate in America, and a senior contributing editor at The Huffington Post. He has previously worked at The Washington Post and San Francisco Chronicle, honing his expertise in investigative reporting and political journalism.

Vargas is a graduate of San Francisco State University, where he studied political science and black studies, and started his career as a copy boy and city desk reporter. He gained nationwide recognition in June 2011 after the New York Times Magazine published his personal essay revealing his life as an undocumented immigrant in America. Since then, Vargas has produced three documentaries, including the critically acclaimed film "Documented," which explores his own undocumented experience, and an Emmy-nominated MTV special called "White People." Vargas has also authored a book, "Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen," published by HarperCollins in 2018.

Vargas has received numerous honors for his contributions to journalism and activism, including a Freedom to Write Award from PEN, a Public Service Award from the National Council of La Raza, and a Media Innovator Award from the National Immigration Forum. In 2018, his former elementary school in Mountain View, California, voted to name a new school after him, the "Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary," in recognition of his inspiring life story and enduring commitment to social justice.