Surprise celebrity grad guests are one of 2020’s few redeeming qualities. With this year’s crop of graduates having to go through the cap and gown tradition virtually, it’s been heartening to know that some of their favourite stars are stepping up to support them. Selena Gomez is among them, but her matriculation message held some extra special meaning for a particular group of grads.The singer was the surprise guest at a virtual ceremony for graduating immigrant students dubbed
Immigrad 2020. The celebration was organized by immigrants’ rights groups in support of the thousands of students and their families, some of whom
remain at risk of deportation despite the pandemic lockdown.
Gomez, who is herself from an immigrant family (she calls herself a “proud third-generation Mexican-American" in her speech) used her platform to acknowledge the value, contributions, and importance of immigrants to their communities and to the U.S. as a whole. "I want you guys to know that you matter,” Gomez told the grads, “and that your experiences are a huge part of the American story.”Gomez was born and raised in Texas but her father’s family came from south of the border. "When my family came here from Mexico they set into motion my American story, as well as theirs,” she said. “My family's journey and their sacrifices helped me get me to where I am today. Mine is not a unique story. Each and every one of you has a similar tale of becoming an American."It’s obvious that immigration is an issue near to her heart. The multi-talented pop star’s
Living Undocumented series, released late last year, examined the struggles of young undocumented immigrants and the monumental challenges they face to hang on to the lives they’ve built in America—from witnessing the deportation of their parents, to fighting to find and keep employment, to being able to feel safe in their own homes. “The immigration issue is more complex than one administration, one law or the story you hear about on the news,”
she wrote on Instagram ahead of the series premiere. “These are real people in your community, your neighbors, your friends – they are all part of the country we call home.”Gomez follows Brad Pitt`s surprise
commencement speech video to the grads of Missouri State University last week and earlier in the month, Ryan Reynolds shared his wise(cracking) words with his old
high school in Vancouver.[video_embed id='1919696']RELATED: Selena Gomez reveals Cole Sprouse was her childhood crush[/video_embed]
