Latest news with #Immigrants
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ruby Ibarra Ignites NPR's ‘Tiny Desk' Concert: ‘This Immigrant Is Here'
Ruby Ibarra, a Filipina-American rapper from the Bay Area known for her potent storytelling, made her debut on NPR's Tiny Desk this week. Chosen among 7,500 entries from independent artists across the country, Ibarra secured the top spot for the series' annual contest with her entry track, 'Bakunawa,' which released last fall. With her hair slicked back into a ponytail and wearing an 'I Love Pinays' tee for the moment, Ibarra performed alongside her all-Filipino band and together, they delivered a heavy-hitting trio of tracks buoyed by shimmering instrumentals. More from Rolling Stone Grupo Firme Cancel La Onda Performance in Napa Amid U.S. Visa Issues This $75 HP Home Printer Comes With Three Months of Free Ink The Best Sonos Deals Ahead of Summer - Save Up to $180 It was a moment Ibarra seized. 'Being human is not illegal. Immigrants have been here, lived here, worked here,' she said before introducing herself: 'And this immigrant is here. From Tacloban City, Philippines, all the way to Washington, D.C., my name is Ruby Ibarra.' When speaking to Rolling Stone over the phone, Ibarra, who was born on the Leyte island, recalls her early influences. 'A lot of the early memories that I have kept from spending the first few years in the Philippines involved a lot of music,' says the artist. 'At a young age, a lot of my cousins, uncles were all part of bands, and they perform at local festivals. So, music was always in and outside of my household.' After moving to San Lorenzo in San Francisco's East Bay, Ibarra says she was later influenced by hip-hop's Golden Age, from the likes of Tupac, the Fugees, and Wu-Tang Clan. Throughout her music, Ibarra weaves in elements of storytelling embracing the rhythms and narratives of the genre, while also bringing her relentless blend of Tagalog and English to her lyrics. When discussing her choice of tracks for her NPR appearance, along with 'Bakunawa,' Ibarra also featured 'Someday' (what she says is a 'reminder' to herself that some of the best things in life happen in due time) and '7000 Miles,' a song she says felt important to include 'because of the state that we're in right now in this country.' 'There's a lot of questions about who belongs here, and for me, I've always been such a strong advocate, as an immigrant myself, of making sure that people feel seen, people feel visible, people feel like they're welcome,' she says. 'It was a perfect opportunity to create conversation around that and at the same time, to also celebrate my experiences as a Filipina immigrant.' The single, from her 2017 album Circa 91, portrays her mother's journey from the U.S. to the Philippines and Ibarra's own evolving frame of mind while watching her mother struggle and fight for a better life for their family. The rapper says that during her Tiny Desk performance, her mother was in the audience. 'Where the chorus goes, 'Mama will make it in America,' it was so special,' says Ibarra. While the camera didn't capture the crowd that included a small group of family and friends, Ibarra says that when she would look over, 'they were crying, they were passing around a box of tissue, and I was starting to get soaked up myself just seeing my mom's reaction, and it was just special.' She says the moment was an important experience for her and her band, as well as a 'collective win.' The ensemble included June Millington of Fanny, Ouida, and Charito Soriano on vocals; Jojo Ramirez on drums; Camille Ramirez on flute and bass; Angelo 'Lasi' Macaraeg on acoustic guitar and keyboard; and Anna Macan on electric guitar. She adds, 'We do hope to see more Filipino American artists on that stage, in that space, there's so much great talent out there, and we're hoping that we can keep that door open.' When looking ahead, Ibarra has her efforts focused on her sophomore album that will be released through her Bolo Music Group, which she founded with producer Lasi in 2023. 'I want to make sure that the music that I share always has as a message, has a point. I'm not the type of rapper to ever waste even just the word. Every word is in the song for a reason,' she says. Ibarra says that her music, like her, will continued to evolve, and that the experience of motherhood has made her 'revisit a lot of the lyrics that I have.' Passing on the stories of those before her, Ibarra says 'I want to continue becoming a songwriter so that the songs I release can help create dialog with my daughter someday.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Washington Post
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Immigrant arrests at courthouses signal new tactic in Trump's push for mass deportations
Masked officers descended on courthouses across the country this week and arrested stunned immigrants showing up for scheduled immigration hearings as part of a new directive from federal officials aimed at dramatically accelerating deportations. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Arizona, Virginia and more than 20 other states have been instructed to arrest people immediately after a judge has ordered them to be deported or after prosecutors move to drop their cases, according to internal documents issued this month and reviewed by The Washington Post.
CBS News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison announces run for Congress
Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison (D-15th) announced Monday that he is running for Congress. Morrison is running in the 8th Congressional District, which primarily includes west and northwest suburban areas in Cook, DuPage and Kane counties. The district stretches from Des Plaines westward through Elk Grove Village, Schaumburg, Itasca, Bloomingdale, Roselle, Streamwood, Carpentersville, and Elgin, and also includes well as a small part of Chicago's Far Northwest Side near O'Hare International Airport — though not the airport itself. U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) currently represents the district. Last week, Krishnamoorthi announced his run for the U.S. Senate seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), who is retiring rather than seeking reelection in 2026. Morrison "As the grandson of immigrants and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I didn't see people like me in public office," he wrote. "But I believe our government should reflect all of us, and I'm ready to fight for everyday people in Congress." Morrison added in a campaign video: "My grandparents immigrated to this country because they believed that if you work hard, you should be able to get ahead. My mother instilled the values in me of giving back to the community, and treating everyone with dignity and respect — and today, far too many people feel left behind, and that is simply not right." He touted his record as a Cook County commissioner as having fought to expand voting rights and mental health care funding, and to fight discrimination. Morrison, who grew up in Elk Grove Village, was elected to the Cook County Board in 2018. He represents the 15th District, a northwest suburban stretching from Des Plaines to Hoffman Estates, Streamwood, Barrington Hills, and the part of Elgin that falls into Cook County. Morrison was the youngest person ever elected to the board when he defeated three-term incumbent Tim Schneider, the chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, at age 28. He's also the first openly gay member of the board. Morrison worked as a special projects coordinator for Rep. Krishnamoorthi before being elected to the County Board. Krishnamoorthi was first elected in 2016 to the U.S. House seat in which Morrison is hoping to succeed him.
CTV News
10-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Immigration accounts for Quebec's population hitting 9.1 million
Montreal Watch Quebec's population grew to 9.1 million with the increase being attributed to immigration as the province's fertility rate is at a record low.
Washington Post
13-03-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Immigrants fuel growth in major US urban counties
Immigrants kept the largest urban counties in the U.S. growing last year. Core counties in the Houston, Miami and Phoenix metropolitan areas grew more than any others in the country primarily because of people moving in from outside the United States, according to population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday.
