Kat Von D Talks About Her Latina Heritage and Opposes Trump's Border Wall

President Trump's hard stance on banning refugees from seven Muslim countries in the Middle East and on plans to use US Tax dollars to pay for the border wall (for Mexico to supposedly reimburse) have divided people from all walks of life - most especially immigrants.   Companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft and several celebrities have spoken out against Trump’s executive actions  The latest criticism comes from Kat Von D, who shared her own immigration story via her social media accounts.

Katherine von Drachenberg, known as Kat Von D was born on March 8, 1982, in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico.  Her Seventh-day Adventist Church missionary parents, father René and mother Sylvia or Silvia Galeano, were born in Argentina, of German, Italian and Spanish descent, respectively. She is an American tattoo artist, model, musician, entrepreneur, and television personality. She is best known for her work as a tattoo artist on the TLC reality television show LA Ink, which premiered in the United States on August 7, 2007, and ran for four seasons. She is also known for her cosmetics line that launched in 2008. 

Von D has a sister, Karoline and a brother, Michael. She moved with her family to the Los Angeles area at age 4 and grew up in Colton, California. Von D was classically trained in piano beginning at age 6. She particularly appreciates Ludwig van Beethoven.

Kat Von D credits her grandmother, Clara von Drachenberg, as an inspiration for her in music and art, and the Latino culture of Los Angeles as a major influence on her tattoo art and style. She began listening to the Ramones, Misfits, and other punk rock bands at the age of 12. She got her first tattoo at 14 and quit school at 16 to become a tattoo artist.

The star shared a throwback picture on her social media accounts of when she was a child which was taken in Mexico, before she knew "a single word of English." She talked about her heritage and her stance in regards to Trump's harline policies in regards to immigration then asked anyone who supports the wall to unfollow her on Instagram.

 

"I AM MEXICAN. I AM ARGENTINIAN. And I AM AMERICAN. We shouldn't forget we are a nation of immigrants," she added.

Pretty amazing don't you think?

And just in case something happens to the embeded link above, here's a screenshot of said picture from Instagram:

It reads: 

Fun fact: My parents were both born in Argentina, and my brother, sister and I were born in Montemorelos, Mexico, where my Dad was working as a missionary doctor building hospitals and treating people in pueblos that had no access to medical aid.

This childhood photo of me was taken before my family immigrated to the US from Mexico. Funny to think I didn't even know one word of English then. And it would be another 10 years before I would finally become a US citizen.  

The idea of building a wall between the US and Mexico damages us all on so many levels. But the ridiculous/obvious financial damage it would do to our country is insignificant when compared to the underlying message it sends that one race is below another. I AM MEXICAN. I AM ARGENTINIAN. And I AM AMERICAN. We shouldn't forget we are a nation of immigrants. #FUCKYOURWALL