Immigrant of the Day: Arnel Pineda (Philippines)

Does the name Arnel Pineda ring a bell to you? He's the current lead singer of the band Journey. You know: Don't Stop Believin'. Pineda took on the role of lead singer in 2007, taking over for Steve Perry.

Somewhere along the line I came across this article--The True Story of Arnel Pineda's Visa Journey--describing Pineda's experience in getting the visa he needed to audition with the band. Short story: it sounded like a fake narrative to get into the US. Except that the consular officer recognized Pineda from seeing him perform and had already been blown away by his ability to sing like Steve Perry!

I just used that tale in class today in our discussion of the admission process.

There are actually a few interesting videos online with Pineda, including this one where he talks a little more about his visa journey:

-KitJ