'Hamilton' 10th anniversary powers immigration aid fundraiser

The Star

6 days ago

Lin-Manuel Miranda plans to use the 10th anniversary Broadway performance of his award-winning cultural phenomenon Hamilton as a fundraiser for a coalition of nonprofits providing immigration services.
The Aug 6 performance of Hamilton at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre is expected to raise about US$3mil (RM14mil) for the Immigrants: We Get the Job Done Coalition, 14 nonprofits ranging from the Hispanic Federation and National Immigration Law Center to the Haitian Bridge Alliance and the Tahirih Justice Center. The donation will come from Miranda, the Miranda Family and Miranda Family Fund, and the Hamilton cast.
It seemed like a fitting tribute to Hamilton and its inspiration, Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, Miranda told The Associated Press, though he recognises that Hamilton wouldn't have called himself an immigrant.
"His narrative in our country kind of mirrors that of an immigrant story,' Miranda said. "He did not grow up here. He didn't come from England. He came from the Caribbean, escaping harsh circumstances. And he really helped shape this country.'
Miranda did exclusively reveal some plans for the special, invite-only Hamilton anniversary show and the preshow reception that he will host.
Fans already know the possibilities after the special Hamilton medley at the Tonys in June. Even the audience will be "stacked,' he said, since every actor who has ever performed during the show's Broadway run will be invited to be in the audience to watch the show's current Broadway cast that night.
"We're working on something special for the curtain call and another nice special thing after that,' Miranda said. "That's about all I can say.'
The bulk of the invites have gone to winners selected from a Prizeo sweepstakes, where entrants donated at least US$10 (RM42) to the Immigrants coalition.
"One of America's greatest exports - at least for me growing up - was the immigration narrative,' Miranda said. "So many people I know… came to this country from somewhere else seeking a better life and then helped make this country better by being here. And I believe that's one of the greatest promises, one of greatest things about the American experiment, and I'll continue to fight for that and support organisations that are helping that cause.'
And the organisations that will benefit from the donations generated by the Hamilton 10th anniversary, better known as #Hamilten, say the donations and encouragement are sorely needed now.
Since the start of his second term, President Donald Trump swiftly moved to make good on "Mass Deportation Now!' promises from his campaign. His administration has encouraged US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain and deport people quickly, even to countries where they have never been, in order to rein in illegal immigration.
Hispanic Federation President and CEO Frankie Miranda, no relation to Lin-Manuel Miranda, said he is heartened by the more than 125,000 people who have donated to the Hamilton fundraiser.
"I think it is the beginning of what could be an incredible movement of philanthropy and individual donors basically saying, 'Enough is enough',' he said. "We have seen it also in the different demonstrations of people around the country where they are expressing their concern and their frustration out in the streets.'
Hispanic Federation has already lost millions in federal funding, as the Trump administration cuts support for workplace development initiatives and environmental justice work, Frankie Miranda said. He has also seen some corporations withdraw their financial support because they fear reprisals from the Trump administration.
"We need bold ideas like 'Hamilton' where everybody feels that they can stand behind it,' he said.
Aarti Kohli, executive director of the Asian Law Caucus, another coalition member, said the donations would help her group continue to provide community legal services to individuals, while also pursuing lawsuits like its challenge to the Trump executive order seeking to strip away birthright citizenship from some children born in the United States.
"At this time, when so many people are afraid to speak out and support vulnerable communities, Lin-Manuel Miranda being willing to use the 'Hamilton' platform just shows real leadership and bravery,' Kohli said. "And I'm hoping that more donors will step up and support our sector. We are the firewall between authoritarianism and democracy.'
Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center, said her nonprofit plans to use the donations from the coalition to support its Defending Democracy initiative, which informs immigrants of their rights and uses the law as "a bulwark against unconstitutional actions carried out by this administration.'
Matos sees it as a "full circle' moment to use funding generated by "the story of one of our nation's Founding Fathers who himself was an indigent immigrant, who through his own grit, determination and his brilliance, worked his way up.'
"He was somebody who thought deeply about this new nation's democracy,' she added. "What better way to honour Hamilton and to express our gratitude for these resources?'
For Lin-Manuel Miranda, the fact that people remain fascinated by Hamilton 10 years later also leaves him feeling grateful.
And he remains surprised by the resonance of the line "Immigrants: We get the job done,' a line shared in the show by Hamilton and French military officer Marquis de Lafayette at the Battle of Yorktown.
"I thought it was no big deal,' he said. "But from the moment it was performed on stage, the audience reaction was so joyous at just the utterance of that simple fact. It's one of the things that just heartens me and gives me hope. In these dark times, it still gets a big cheer.'
The cheering still requires the show to add extra measures of music to wait for the audience to calm down before continuing with the song Yorktown. Miranda attributes it to the fact that so many Americans are only one or two generations away from an immigrant.
"It's the same reason why that No Kings protest vastly outnumbered the military parade happening on the same day,' he said.
"There are still a lot of people who believe in basic decency and treating people who come here - often from really tough situations - with humanity.' - AP