Actor Bambadjan Bamba is making an effort to show the humanity of Dreamers everywhere by announcing his status as a DACA recipient and opening up about his experiences being an undocumented immigrant in America.
Bamba, who stars in the hit film 'Black Panther,' is originally from the Ivory Coast. He has worked as an actor in America for the last 10 years and now, at 36, he has made a bold decision to openly share his journey.
"I needed to use my voice as an actor to try to humanize this issue and try to put a face and a voice to who DACA recipients really are," Bamba said in a recent interview with CNN.
"When the administration says they wanted to cancel DACA, that's when I decided I couldn't stay quiet anymore."
Bamba is just one of nearly a million young immigrants who came to America as children and received temporary status under DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which was enacted by President Obama.
Along the way, his parents were able to secure U.S. citizenship of their own. They had gained political asylum, but by that time Bamba was 21 and unable to share the status of his parents. While his fate is yet to be determined, his experience as a Dreamer shows how difficult the immigration process can actually be.
Bamba's character in 'Black Panther' is nameless but his impact will travel beyond the few lines he voices in the film.
Bamba is a married man, so there is no denying the weight of not having a permanent status may have. He and his wife have been married for 10 years and had their first child a little over a year ago.
"Doctors told us it was impossible, there was no way you all are gonna have kids. She's a miracle baby." Bamba said. "If she was able to happen, then I believe this immigration thing is not as big a miracle as she is."
It is easy to see the impact Bamba's Catholic faith has on him. That faith, coupled with the miracle of his daughter, are enough for him to believe in a positive resolve for Dreamers everywhere.
Wakanda forever.
"I decided I couldn't stay quiet anymore": Bambadjan Bamba, an actor who appears in "Black Panther," is also a DACA recipient. Now, he's speaking out about his status. https://t.co/UQelMBy4rG pic.twitter.com/jbJj92usKR— CNN (@CNN) February 20, 2018
