Define American’s Entertainment Partnerships & Advocacy team consults with filmmakers, writers and industry executives. We partner on advocacy campaigns, speak at industry events and produce ground-breaking research.
Change the narrative, change the world.
For more information, please contact [email protected].
We consult with entertainment industry creatives to help them develop more realistic immigrant characters and navigate complex immigration-related storylines with the goal of creating positive and long-lasting cultural change.
We read scripts, review rough cuts, and visit sets and writer’s rooms to ensure accurate and humanized portrayals of immigrants on screen. For more information, you can reach us at [email protected] — no question is too big or too small.
To date, we have consulted on more than 90 film and television projects across 23 networks and streaming platforms.
We compile data and create resources to help entertainment industry creatives evolve in their understanding of American immigrants.
In collaboration with USC Annenberg’s Norman Lear Center, we analyzed the portrayal of immigrant characters and storylines across scripted television. Our study found continued underrepresentation of marginalized immigrant communities and inaccurate criminalization—but also discovered that TV shows with nuanced immigrant characters and immigration storylines can shift attitudes and inspire people to action. Learn more about how changing the narrative in Hollywood can change the world, download a summary of the 2020 study or read the full report.
‘Telling Authentic Immigrant Stories: A Reference Guide for The Entertainment Industry’ is the latest edition of our resource tool for writers, filmmakers, creators and entertainment professionals who want to tell stories that are both accurate and humanizing about immigrants.
We partner on advocacy campaigns, panels, and events to deepen audience understanding of the issues faced by immigrants and marginalized groups — both on screen and off.
When the pandemic brought to light alarming racism within Black and Asian communities, we gathered a group of influential thought-leaders for our Black + Gold Forum, a candid public discussion about fostering solidarity and support for one another. Featuring Crazy Rich Asians Director Jon M. Chu, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and creator of the New York Times 1619 Project Nikole Hannah-Jones, fashion designer and philanthropist Prabal Gurung, and The Black List CEO and founder Franklin Leonard, the event explored how to combat anti-blackness and anti-Asian racism beyond the pandemic.
and so many more.
We look forward to making an impact in-person again once it’s safe to do so.
Define American Releases Best Practices Guide on Immigrant Representation in Film and TV (EXCLUSIVE)
‘Roswell, N.M’: How The CW Series Worked to Promote an Authentic Citizenship Story in Season 2
Define American Sets ‘Building Solidarity For Black And Asian Communities Through COVID-19’ Forum With Jon M. Chu, Franklin Leonard, Prabal Gurung And Nikole Hannah-Jones
Disney+ Puts “Negative Depictions” Disclaimers on ‘Peter Pan,’ ‘Aristocats’