Who Is Dayani Cristal?

Every year tens of thousands of people are driven by grinding poverty and conflict to leave their homes in Central and South America and journey through Mexico towards the U.S. They brave one of the world’s most dangerous journeys, traveling along a stretch of desert called the “corridor of death,” for the chance of a better, more secure life for themselves and their families.

Over the past few years, the number of people who try to cross the U.S.-Mexico border has fallen. But the number of people who die while making the journey has risen sharply. And the U.S.’s response to those who seek asylum, opportunity, or security has become more draconian and xenophobic.

“Who Is Dayani Cristal?”, the award-winning film by Gael García Bernal and Marc Silver, tells the story of one such undocumented migrant who died in Arizona. His story, and that of the family and community he left behind, come to represent the issues faced by all migrants who follow a similar path. Made in 2013, the story was urgent then. In showing how one life can be a testimony to the tragic results of the U.S. war on immigration, it is more relevant than ever.

To learn more about the film, visit WhoIsDayaniCristal.com.

If the film inspires you to get involved and take action, please visit and use The WelcomeALL toolkit to learn how to build welcoming culture in your community.