June 11 (UPI) — Colombian singer J Balvin and Indian American cookbook author and television personality Padma Lakshmi have joined a Nick News special about immigration.
Nickelodeon said in a press release Friday that Balvin, Laskhmi (pictured, left), Canadian-American comedian Samantha Bee (center), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (right) and Australian professional basketball player Ben Simmons will take part in the TV special Nick News: Kids, Immigration and Equality.
Balvin and the other celebrity guests will share their personal immigration stories and messages of hope to other families.
In addition, the special explores early immigration in the United States, current immigration topics including Dreamers and DACA, and the personal stories of three young community advocates.
“Every immigrant’s story is individual, and yet in the U.S., it is a collective experience many can relate to. In fact, over 25 percent of kids in the U.S. under the age of 18 have a parent or grandparent that is an immigrant,” Nick News executive producer Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson said.
“As we take time to acknowledge the many contributions immigrants have made to the United States, Nick News: Kids, Immigration and Equality aims to platform the stories of these remarkable individuals and families to highlight our shared history and showcase that despite our perceived differences we are more alike than different,” she added.
The half-hour special is hosted by CBS News correspondent Jamie Yuccas and premieres June 17 at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Nickelodeon. It will be available to stream on Nick.com, Nick App and Nick On Demand beginning June 17 and on the Nickelodeon YouTube channel June 22.
Nickelodeon previously aired Nick News specials about race and COVID-19.
Nick News Breaks is an ongoing series covering news and other big topics that are important to kids.