Emily Tosta Celebrity Media Honoree

Actress Emily Tosta is helping immigrant communities feel less alone

Emily Tosta is a Dominican actress who you may know from Party Of Five, Mayans M.C., and more. She was chosen as the 2020-2021 celebrity ConversationaLIST honoree for the Journalism and Media category to celebrate her exceptional work as an artist, activist, and changemaker. 

Emily is an inspiring advocate for positive change and has done an exceptional job giving a voice to immigrants in her personal life and through the media and on television. She is a role model for young people worldwide and consistently uses her voice to inspire others to advocate for their passions and use their voices for good. 

‍

During her panel, Emily said that immigration is personal. She came to the United States with her mother when she was only 12 years old. They didn’t know English, nor did they have the legal status to work. “As soon as I started pursuing my dreams and had a platform, it was important for me to tell my story,” she said. “For me, it was always key to be able to tell others that if my 12-year-old Dominican self who came to this country from nothing could make it, [they] can do it as well.” 

‍

“For me, it was always key to be able to tell others that if my 12-year-old Dominican self who came to this country from nothing could make it, [they] can do it as well.” 

‍

Emily has had the opportunity to work on several projects that have spoken to her advocacy, including Party Of Five, in which her character’s parents experienced deportation. “I’ve always been a big fan of scripts that have meaning to them and talk about things that matter,” she said. “I think that’s what we should do with the media overall. It’s important to use our platforms to tell stories that need to be told, especially when it comes to inclusion and representation.”

Finally, Emily encouraged Gen Z’ers to educate themselves about causes that matter and form connections with like-minded people. “Use your voices,” she said. “At the end of the day, that’s all we have. Don’t be afraid to speak up for what you believe in.”

‍

To hear more from Emily and our Journalism and Media honorees, check out our panel. Join us in Geneva and follow The Conversationalist on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to stay up to date with all of our future events.