Papers is at the Loft

“Papers” Film Screens in Tucson

Wednesday April 7th, 2010     7 PM

The Loft Cinema


3233 E Speedway Blvd


General Admission: $8.00 Loft Members: $6.00

The film highlights the stories of immigrant undocumented youth and the challenges they face as they turn 18 without legal status. It is being presented as a fundraiser by the non-profit organizations Border Action Network and The Loft Cinema. 

There are approximately 2 million undocumented children who were born outside the U.S. and raised in this country. These are young people who were educated in American schools, hold American values, know only the U.S. as home and who, upon high school graduation, find the door to their future slammed shut.

65,000 undocumented students graduate every year from high school without “papers” and the door to their future slams shut. It is against the law to work or drive. It is difficult, if not impossible in some states, to attend college. Currently, there is no path to citizenship for these young people.

National elected and community leaders as well as educators provide the backdrop for the young people’s compelling narratives. Representatives Raul Grijalva, Howard Berman, Mike Honda and Maxine Waters appear in the film. Senator Robert Menendez, Leaders from the Asian American Justice Center, the Human Rights Campaign, NAKASEC, the UCLA Labor Center, and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) add to the narrative. The opening montage includes footage from anti‐ immigrant and pro‐immigrant marches, visually describing the polarized context in which these youth must live each day.

The event will include an introduction by Border Action Network Executive Director Jennifer Allen. Established in 1999, the Border Action Network is a human rights organization working with immigrant and border communities in Arizona to ensure rights are protected and upheld.  

A post screening discussion with a panel of local youth will conclude the event.