A constrained sigh — a fleeting release. My reaction to the Supreme Court voting in our favor to block the Trump administration from ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals , last Thursday, was one of surprise. We, the Dreamers, were all bracing ourselves to see the Obama-era program that has protected us from deportation be annihilated.
Unfortunately, many foreign actors with varying immigration statuses were not having the same experience. A number of foreign actors with DACA and O1 visas continue to face even more extreme obstacles. These colleagues reached out to me via social media for advice regarding discriminatory casting notices and getting dropped by their representation because their immigration status limits their job prospects.
One studio responded; they thanked us for sharing our concerns and bringing awareness, and noted that due to our correspondence they would implore their legal department and would be “preparing language for all of our casting directors that will clearly state that persons who have any kind of work authorization to legally work on the project may be submitted.
These cursory changes are small wins, in this current climate corporations everywhere need to commit to making structural changes to rectify inequities and lack of diversity. I believe that this is an attainable step that Hollywood studios and major production companies can take to foster a culture of diversity and access. David Oyelowo said, “We have moments but I still don’t see the mechanism in place to foundationally sustain what will go beyond a renaissance and become the norm.