(Re)Defining American: Intersectionality and Coalition Building in the Rhetoric of Jose Antonio Vargas

ABSTRACT

This essay examines how Jose Antonio Vargas challenges the logics of citizenship during a time of rising old-fashioned nationalism and xenophobia, seeking to redefine “American” by calling his listeners to realize their intersectional interests, build coalitions, and erase lines of division. His speech is as an act of deliberative rhetoric that combines rational arguments with narratives that illustrate the realities of individuals linked together in society. First, I illustrate how Vargas critiques the “illegal” moniker to expose the racist tendencies and obsession with border enforcement of the U.S. public and mainstream media. Second, I argue that Vargas invites his listeners to realize their coalitional potential to (re)define “American,” calling them to engage in intersectional conversations about race, immigration, and identity.

KEYWORDS:

• Immigration
• undocumented
• intersectionality
• rhetoric

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.