Social consciousness and a commitment to highlight injustice and human rights issues have been hallmarks of alumna Amy Serrano’s artistic expressions for nearly 30 years.
Serrano, who received a BA in Sociology and Anthropology from the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs in 2017, has built a successful career in film and publishing while actively fighting for the causes that drive her passions. Given her background and upbringing, her creative direction may come as no surprise.
A Cuban refugee, in 1968 at 2 years old, she and her mother arrived in Miami on a Freedom Flight, meeting her father for the first time. Living in Homestead from the age of 11 to 17, she realized that while her family’s circumstances were modest, the poverty of her classmates was much more dire.
Amy Serrano
“My Mexican friends in migrant camps, and Black classmates in neighboring Florida City, lived in varying degrees of extreme and heartbreaking poverty,” Serrano said. “This led me to start volunteering in my community from the age of 12.”
Her fertile imagination and childhood experiences led to the creation of her well-known 2007 documentary, "The Sugar Babies: The Plight of Children of Agricultural Workers in the Sugar Industry of the Dominican Republic," which explores slavery, human trafficking, racism, and the abuse of migrants and child laborers.
Serrano also credits the poetry of Jose Marti, a Cuban social philosopher, poet, and political activist who lost his life during the struggle of Cuba's independence from Spain, as a major influence informing her work on racism, civil rights and the potential for unity in North America.
“I’ve dedicated my work to social issues from the moment I understood the meaning of Marti’s words. Then once I heard the song, ‘Do They Know It's Christmas?’ (the 1984 song that raised money for the famine in Ethiopia), I deeply understood how merging the arts with activism could change our awareness of concerns in global society, " Serrano said. “In my life, the power of one song, a work of art, inspired me to create films and other initiatives that highlight human and civil rights issues; especially as these pertain to matters of poverty and great injustice.”
After residing in New Orleans for many years, she’s back in Miami and working on completing her next documentary, “AIRMAN: The Extraordinary Legacy of Calvin G. Moret,” about American and World War II history, aviation, racism and civil rights. The film, expected to debut next year at New Orleans’ World War II Museum, traces the life and legacy of Calvin G. Moret, who was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, the celebrated group of World War II Black Air Force pilots.
“I’m making a film on this Tuskegee Airman’s life and legacy to share the history of an exceptional group of men who risked their lives overseas fighting one war, only to return home to battle segregation, racism and injustice,” she explained. “Sharing their story draws attention to their struggle in the segregated South, which may have set the stage for the 1950s civil rights movement. This film is a testament to their uncompromising valor during an unfortunate episode in U.S. history.
“By making the film about Mr. Moret’s life, his courage may serve to inspire better civil discourse, to challenge assumptions and overcome obstacles, and, most importantly, to help us come together and evolve as a society.”
Serrano has received distinguished honors for her work. She was awarded a prestigious fellowship with the National Hispana Leadership Institute in D.C. and was named a Latina of Excellence in Hispanic Magazine. She was selected as one of 15 top Hispanic Leaders in the U.S. by the Spanish Embassy in Washington D.C. and participated in an exchange in Spain with their social, political, economic and cultural leaders. She was profiled in a book on Hispanic American leaders in the United States published by the Spain-U.S. Council and was once named “one of the most influential and recognized Hispanics in the United States” by MEGA TV. She was even awarded a proclamation of Amy Serrano Day from the City of Miami.
“Amy’s courage, creativity, and dedication to social justice at home and abroad epitomize the values and commitments of the Green School’s Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies. Her life and work are exemplars of what we stand for, what we aspire to be,” her former professor, Richard Tardanico, Global and Sociocultural Studies said.
Serrano also has written several books, including “Of Fiery Places and Sacred Spaces,” comprised of poetry based on the geography and cartography of people and places; and she compiled “Into the Woods,” an anthology featuring writers from Louisiana’s Northshore. Her latest book, published last year, is “Saudades: Anthological Contemplations on Persons, Places, Identity and Time,” which features 28 multimedia artists representing 12 countries. She is the founder of the One Better World Project, a non-governmental organization dedicated to the production and diffusion of transformative multimedia art and social impact initiatives.
Serrano believes that “Art is the stage on which humanity voices its quest for truth, its longing for hope and its desire for freedom."