Selena Gomez has sparked a heated debate on social media after sharing a video of herself crying over the US President Donald Trump's decision to deport illegal immigrants. However, the post was met with massive trolling, prompting Gomez to delete the video. In response, she shared a cryptic note that read, "Apparently, it's not okay to show sympathy for people."
Social media users have been criticizing Selena Gomez for sharing the emotional video, with many believing that she won't be personally affected by the new policies due to her wealth and resources. Some have even accused her of sharing the video to grab attention. However, this isn't the first time Mexican-American actress has spoken out about immigration issues.?
In 2019, the?Emilia P¨¦rez star opened up about her family's undocumented immigration history after a documentary series that she executive-produced, Living Undocumented, premiered on Netflix. In a poignant piece for Time, she shared the details of her family's past and their struggles living as immigrants in the United States.
She shared that in the 1970s, her aunt crossed the border from Mexico into the United States hidden in the back of a truck, and her grandparents followed. Her father was born in Texas, and in 1992, she was born a US citizen, thanks to their bravery and sacrifice. ¡°Over the past four decades, members of my family have worked hard to gain United States citizenship," she added.
Gomez added that she thinks about undocumented immigration every day, and she will never forget how blessed she is to have the country, but she said that she fears for those who are in similar situations. "But when I read the news headlines or see debates about immigration rage on social media, I feel afraid for those in similar situations. I feel afraid for my country," she said.
The Disney alum emphasized that immigration is a human issue that affects real people and dismantles real lives, and that how we deal with it speaks to our humanity, empathy, and compassion.
¡°[Immigration] is a human issue, affecting real people, dismantling real lives,¡± she wrote. ¡°How we deal with it speaks to our humanity, our empathy, our compassion. How we treat our fellow human beings defines who we are.¡±
She acknowledged that she's not an expert on the complex immigration system but suggested that it's time to listen to the people whose lives are being directly affected by immigration policies and to get to know the individuals behind the headlines. As a Mexican-American woman, Gomez feels a responsibility to use her platform to be a voice for people who are too afraid to speak and hopes to inspire people to be more compassionate and learn more about immigration.
¡°I¡¯m concerned about the way people are being treated in my country. As a Mexican-American woman, I feel a responsibility to use my platform to be a voice for people who are too afraid to speak,¡± Selena wrote. ¡°And I hope that getting to know these eight families and their stories will inspire people to be more compassionate and to learn more about immigration¡±
In her now-deleted video, Selena said, ¡°I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry. All my people are getting attacked. The children. I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m so sorry; I wish I could do something, but I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯ll try everything, I promise.¡±
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