Mad River Theater Works will continue its Ohio Arts Council supported Yellow Springs Speaker Series on June 5th with journalist Jose Antonio Vargas and author Dr. William Lopez.

In this engaging conversation between two insightful minds working at the intersection of public health, policy, media and activism, we will explore many aspects of the current state of immigration in America, as well as the role of activists and authors in the process of understanding and shining light on the struggles our neighbors face.  

Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Tony-nominated theatrical producer. A leading voice for the human rights of immigrants, he founded the non-profit immigrant storytelling organization Define American, twice named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company. His best-selling memoir, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, was published by Harper Collins in 2018. In 2026, the Brooklyn Public Library named it one of the 250 most notable books in U.S. history.

Dr. William Lopez is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and Faculty Associate in the Latina/o Studies Program. He is the author of Raiding the Heartland: An American Story of Deportation and Resistance, a follow-up to his award-winning first book, Separated: Family and Community in the Aftermath of an Immigration Raid. In addition to his academic research on the public health impacts of deportation, Dr. Lopez regularly contributes to the public discussions on deportation, diversity, and Latino culture in venues such as the Washington Post, CNN, San Antonio Express News, Detroit Free Press, and Truthout.

General admission tickets to the event are $15 for adults and $5 for youth/students. This event is part of a week-long “Immigrants Feed America” celebration in Yellow Springs, which also features a moderated screening of Vargas’ 2013 film Documented, the unveiling of a community mural, and food activations via Mazu, a local global street food restaurant. The Yellow Springs Speaker Series is being supported by the Yellow Springs Community Foundation and the Yellow Springs Library Association. Books for an author signing will be available on site.