During tonight’s Academy Awards ceremony, Lupita Nyong’o and Kumail Nanjiani presented the award for Best Production Design, but before that they took a moment to honor immigrants. Nyong’o noted that she’s from Kenya, getting a huge cheer from the audience (“Kenya’s in the house,” added Nanjiani), and Nanjiani—or “Chris Pine,” as he says he was known before he choose his stage name—explained that he’s from Pakistan.
They also honored all “dreamers,” saying that everyone who makes movies is a dreamer, but Nanjini shared a message “to all dreamers,” saying “we stand with you.” The word choice there seems very purposeful, with tomorrow bringing the official end of the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals program that is supposed to protect the children of undocumented immigrants—known as “Dreamers.” Watch the whole speech below.
It was a succinct political statement that also happened to be quite funny.