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Trump’s plan to end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is the latest uproar in his tumultuous presidency. His justifications for ending bill are seaped in xenophia, which is why so many celebrities have spoken out against his brash decision. And while the list of Black celebrities who have an immigrant background is long, here’s a small look into a few whose parents made the move to the United States.
01
Yvonne Orji Portraits – LEAD
Though the actress was raised in Maryland, she was born in Nigeria. While her parents expected her to become a doctor or lawyer after moving to the States, Orji decided at a young age that she would pursue comedy.
02
Zoe Saldana
New Jersey-bred actress Zoe Saldana was born to a Dominican and Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother. When she was 9-years-old, her mother moved them to the Dominican Republic. Years later, they would return to the United States, but this time to New York.
03
Barack Obama’s Tweet Following Charlottesville Protests Is Now Most Liked in History
Former President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii and spent much of his youth there. Though his mother was born in Kansas, his father was from Kenya and was visiting Hawaii as a foreign student on scholarship when they met. Obama Sr. went on to attend Harvard and receive a degree in economics.
04
Tyson Beckford
Though born in the United States, beloved model Tyson Beckford comes from a diverse background. His parents are from Jamaica with his mother being Chinese-Jamaican and his father being Afro-Jamaican of Panamanian descent.
05
Notorious BIG
While it’s known that the late Notorious B.I.G. was born to a Jamaican mother, his father — who left the family when the rapper was two-years-old — was also from Jamaica, too.
06
Selita Ebanks
The model and actress will celebrate her birthday Feb. 17.
Jon Kopaloff
07
Kerry Washington’s Curls Are Back and More Glorious Than Ever
If you weren’t aware Kerry Washington was of Jamaican decent. The ‘Scandal’ actress has stated in the past that though her mother’s family is in Manhattan, her mother is from Jamaica and has a mixed-race background.
08
Wyclef Jean Documents Being Handcuffed by LAPD: ‘Another Case of Mistaken Identity’
Born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, famed musician Wyclef Jean migrated to Brooklyn with his family when he was 9-years-old.
09
Patrick Ewing
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, it wasn’t until 1975 that Ewing and his family relocated to Massachusetts. The NBA icon finally got his citizenship while attending Georgetown University.
