Jose Antonio Vargas Facts: Bio, Age, Height, Weight, Family, and Net Worth

Jose Antonio Vargas is a Filipino journalist best known for playing Author in My Life As an Undocumented Immigrant.

Popularity

#6013 Most Popular

#6013 Overall #966 in Journalists

Score: 98 Boosts: 0

Popularity is based on reader activity and boosts.

Best Known For:My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

Breakthrough:Graduated from San Francisco State University in 2004

10 Quick Facts About Jose Antonio Vargas

Full Name: Jose Antonio Vargas
Nationality: Filipino
Profession: Journalist
Known For: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant
Date of Birth: February 3, 1981
Age: 45 years old
Place of Birth: Antipolo, Philippines
Gender: Male
Beats: Politics / Government and International / Foreign Affairs
Net Worth: $404,000-$5,766,000 (Estimated range)

Photo of Jose Antonio Vargas — Jose Antonio Vargas Photo

Jose Antonio Vargas Age

Jose Antonio Vargas is 45 years old. He was born on February 3, 1981, and his zodiac sign is Aquarius.

Education

His educational background includes studies at Mountain View High School and San Francisco State University.

Mountain View High School
- Period: 2000
San Francisco State University
- Qualification: Bachelor's degree
- Period: 2004

Career & Work

Jose Antonio Vargas' career includes news and reporting roles with California State University and Define American.

Role: Author

Period: 2018–2025

Details: United States

Organization: California State University

Role: Board of Trustees Member

Period: From 2022

Details: California · Appointed to the university system's Board of Trustees in 2022.

Role: Documentary Filmmaker

Period: 2013–2015

Details: United States

Organization: Define American

Role: Founder

Period: From 2011

Details: United States · Founded a nonprofit storytelling organization seeking to change public discussions about immigrants and American identity.

Organization: The Washington Post

Role: Journalist

Period: Through 2009

Details: Covered technology and other subjects and contributed to the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting on the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings.

Organization: San Francisco Chronicle

Role: Journalist

Period: Historical

Details: San Francisco, California · Worked in newspaper journalism.

Rise to Fame

Jose Antonio Vargas rose to prominence for his role in the film Documented.

Notable Works

Notable media work includes Documented, White People, and Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen.

Film

Film: Documented (Director and Producer, 2013) — Autobiographical documentary film about immigration and family separation, subsequently broadcast by CNN
Film: White People (Director and Producer, 2015) — MTV documentary examining race and racial identity in the United States

Books

Book: Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen (Author, 2018; updated 2025) — Bestselling memoir about immigration, identity and belonging

Podcasts

Podcast: Define American with Jose Antonio Vargas (Host) — Interviews and conversations examining immigration and identity

Work: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant (Author, 2011) — Personal essay published in The New York Times Magazine
Work: What the Constitution Means to Me (Co-producer, 2019) — Broadway production that received Tony Award nominations
Work: Here Lies Love (Theatrical Producer) — Broadway theatrical production

Notable Coverage

Virginia Tech shootings – The Washington Post – 2007 – Contributed to the newsroom's reporting on the shootings; the team won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting
Undocumented immigrant experiences – TIME – 2012 – Wrote a cover story exploring the experiences of undocumented Americans

Awards & Achievements

Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting — The Pulitzer Prizes — 2008 — Member of The Washington Post team recognized for coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings.
Freedom to Write Award — PEN Center USA — Writing and public advocacy.
Salem Award — Salem Award Foundation — Human-rights advocacy.
Public Service Award — National Council of La Raza — Public advocacy.

Lesser Known Facts

He was born in Antipolo, Philippines, and moved to the United States when he was twelve.
He co-founded the footwear brand 1587 Sneakers.
He has worked across print journalism, documentary films, books, podcasts and Broadway productions.
He founded Define American to use storytelling in conversations about immigration and identity.
His memoir Dear America was reissued with updated material in 2025.