A school in Silicon Valley was recently named after a Filipino, who is also a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist.
Jose Antonio Vargas shared the good news on his Instagram account on Aug. 17.
Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg congratulated Vargas on the social media platform.
“This makes me so happy. I heard the ceremony was very moving. Congrats!” Zuckerberg wrote in the comment section of the post.
Vargas received a building dedication plaque from the Mountain View Whisman School District.
According to an article by the Asian Journal, Vargas was a nominee alongside former United States (US) President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, former Mountain View School Board member Gail Urban Moore, Bay Area philanthropist Ruth Clouse Chance, and U.S. Navy Admiral Grace Hopper.
Vargas was neck to neck with the Obamas but he eventually won in the board vote.
The other top choices had their names on other buildings instead.
Mountain View Whisman School District Superintendent Dr. Ayinde Rudolph said Barack & Michelle Obama had preschools after their name and the new boardroom was named after Moore. It is now called Gail Urban Moore Leadership Center.
Vargas was known for his story in 2011 where he revealed that he was an undocumented immigrant. He was brought to the US in 1993 at the age of 12 to live with his grandparents.
In 2013, he narrated his story in a film called “Documented”. In 2018, he published a memoir entitled, “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen”.
Vargas also has roots in Mountain View.
Photo credit: Jose Antonio Vargas Instagram account
