Immigration Coalition Honors Lin-Manuel Miranda

The New York Immigration Coalition-one of the leading immigrant advocacy groups in the nation-will hold its 20th anniversary gala on June 2nd at the Hilton Hotel, celebrating two decades of landmark work to improve the lives of immigrants and all New Yorkers.

The awards gala will honor the following individuals and institutions:

Wyclef Jean, Haitian-born and Brooklyn- and New  Jersey-raised, whose music is informed by creative genius and social conscience, and who has used his star power to promote social justice in Haiti, the United States, and around the world;

Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer and star of In The Heights (nominated for 13 Tony Awards), a spirited and affectionate portrait of one of New York's immigrant neighborhoods;

 NY Daily News & Mort Zuckerman, its publisher, for their leadership in bringing voices of reason and compassion to the immigration debate; and

Margie McHugh of the Migration Policy Institute, and former NYIC executive director, who has been a pioneering leader in the immigrant advocacy community in New York and nationally.   

For 20 years, The New York Immigration Coalition has worked to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all.  From working for federal immigration reform to advocating for local policies that help immigrants integrate into American life, from cultivating the next generation of immigrant leaders to promoting immigrants' civic engagement by registering a quarter-million new citizens to vote, the NYIC is a leader in the movement for social justice in New York and beyond.  The NYIC boasts some 200 member organizations and puts immigrants at the table in the major public policy debates of the day.  

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the first incarnation of In The Heights his sophomore year at Wesleyan University, CT. Off-Broadway, In The Heights: received 9 Drama Desk nominations, including Best Music, Best Lyrics, and won the award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance; received the Lucille Lortel Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical; received the Obie Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics; received a Theater World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance and the Clarence Derwent Award both for Mr. Miranda's performance. Mr. Miranda is the recipient of the 2007 ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award. TV/Film: "The Sopranos," Sex And The City. A co-founding member of Freestyle Love Supreme, a hip-hop comedy group that tours comedy festivals all over the world. Love and Gratitude to Luz, Luis, Lucecita y Mundi.