Meanwhile, Gina Rodriguez used 'Jane the Virgin' funds to send an immigrant kid to college

We stan a legend!
 By 
Proma Khosla
 on 
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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

While the government remains complicit in a massive human rights violation along U.S. borders, at least one person in Hollywood is trying to make life better for immigrants.

Gina Rodriguez, star of Jane the Virgin, convinced The CW to spend the funds for its Emmy campaign on a Latinx teen's college tuition.

The scholarship will pay for all four years of undergraduate education for the recipient (who happens to be undocumented) instead of parties and campaigns to increase Jane the Virgin's chance of winning an Emmy.

Now that's perspective.

"It's taboo to talk about the money being spent, but it's the reality," Rodriguez told The Hollywood Reporter. "I think sharing this might inspire other people to do something similar. You can desire recognition and, at the same time, decide to not play in the confines of the game as it's set up."

Though she was hesitant to make the scholarship announcement public, Rodriguez's actions show Hollywood's power to make real change when many around the country feel powerless to help with current affairs.

"Our show has always jumped at any opportunity to help me do something for the Latinx community," said Rodriguez. "So I asked my showrunner, Jennie [Snyder Urman], if we could do something different with the money this year."

Jane the Virgin returns in 2019.

Topics Activism The CW

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Proma Khosla

Proma Khosla is a Senior Entertainment Reporter writing about all things TV, from ranking Bridgerton crushes to composer interviews and leading Mashable's stateside coverage of Bollywood and South Asian representation. You might also catch her hosting video explainers or on Mashable's TikTok and Reels, or tweeting silly thoughts from @promawhatup.

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