Miranda Celebrates 10 Years of Hamilton with Fundraiser for Illegal Immigration Services
Songwriter and actor Lynn Manuel Miranda is gearing up to mark the 10th anniversary of the Broadway hit Hamilton. A fundraising event will be held on August 6th at Richard Rogers Theatre, focusing on services for illegal immigrants.
The coalition, named “We Get The Job Done,” aims to raise around $3 million. The organizations involved include the Hispanic Federation, National Immigration Law Center, Haitian Bridge Alliance, and the Tahirih Justice Center.
These groups often discuss issues surrounding “immigration” while seemingly overlooking an important term: illegal.
For instance, the Hispanic Federation’s website mentions their opposition to what they term “countless attacks on civil rights” attributed to the Trump administration, falsely claiming these “attacks” target immigrants.
Meanwhile, the National Immigration Law Center states that its mission is to “advance and advocate the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their loved ones,” yet notably doesn’t clarify that much of their work supports individuals they refer to as “undocumented.”
Miranda expressed to the Associated Press that using the Broadway stage in this manner honors Alexander Hamilton, implying that the founding figure’s background resonates with the cause, as he himself was not born in America.
Miranda states, “He didn’t grow up here. He didn’t come from England. He came from the Caribbean and escaped a tough situation. And he really helped shape the country,” referencing Hamilton’s story as portrayed in the play.
While Hamilton may not have thought of himself as an immigrant—considering he became a founding father before the U.S. existed—Miranda argues that Hamilton’s journey reflects the immigrant experience in America.
Interestingly, Miranda, like several other activists, seems to merge the complexities of legal and illegal immigration, perhaps in part to challenge President Trump’s agenda that he campaigned on successfully.
He reiterated, “One of America’s greatest exports – for me, at least, it was an immigration story. So many people I know have come to this country from somewhere else in search of a better life and have helped make this country better by being here.”
Miranda further noted, “I believe that is one of our biggest promises and one of the biggest things about the American experiment. I will continue to fight for it and support the organizations that advocate for this cause,” which seems to conflate legal immigration with illegal immigration.
