
At right, NDLON Co-Executive Director Pablo Alvarado. [Screenshot]
Pasadena-based National Day Laborer Organizing Network is set to unveil a new video series aimed at countering disinformation about immigrants during a Thursday morning media event at the Pasadena Community Job Center.
The campaign is titled “No Más Mentiras” (“No More Lies”).
NDLON’s initiative comes in response to what they describe as “endless lies” perpetuated by politicians and media about immigrants. The organization plans to release over a dozen short videos designed to debunk common misconceptions and falsehoods, one by one.
NDLON Co-Executive Director Pablo Alvarado said he is concerned about the spread of anti-immigrant rhetoric.
“We’ve all heard the lies — that immigrants are dangerous people, that they bring crime and disease, that they steal jobs and social-service benefits,” he said. “Donald Trump may be the most notorious anti-immigrant liar, but he is not alone.”
The first video released in the series focuses largely on comments made by Trump.
Alvarado added that misinformation can “travel like lightning, while the truth can be very slow.”
The organization’s members are particularly worried about the impact of these messages on Hispanic voters and other voters of color.
Manuel Vicente, Director of NDLON’s in-house production studio, Radio Jornalera, said their mission is urgent.
“We are alarmed to see Hispanic voters and other voters of color increasingly accepting the lies they hear about immigrants,” he said.
The video series will cover a range of topics, including “Immigrant Criminals,” “Stealing Jobs,” “Minimum Wage,” and other short programs about immigrant criminality, welfare abuse, and voting rights. Each video will be only a few minutes long, designed for easy sharing on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Vicente and Alvarado expressed hopes that the videos will go viral, gaining power through repetition and widespread sharing. They said they want to encourage voter participation and prevent people from giving up on democracy.
“As an organization that defends and empowers immigrants, we cannot stand by as powerful politicians, media organizations, and social-media influencers gaslight and scapegoat innocent people,” Vicente and Alvarado added in a statement.
The organization views this initiative as a crucial step in empowering immigrants and providing voters with accurate information.
“As we say at the day laborer centers, our survival is up to us. No one else is coming to the rescue. Solo el pueblo salva el pueblo. Only the people will save the people,” Vicente concluded.
A sample video from the series can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/mWRDNxECVu4?si=q44KxW8dIdDQAWvm