Amy Serrano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amy Serrano
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Amy Serrano, New Orleans, 2012
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| Born | November 8, 1966 |
| Nationality | Cuban-American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts, Sociology and Anthropology |
| Occupation | Author, filmmaker, human rights activist |
| Known for | Documentaries, Books, Human Rights |
Amy Serrano (born November 8, 1966) is a Cuban-American filmmaker, author, and human rights activist. A human rights activist is someone who works to protect the basic rights and freedoms that all people should have. She is famous for her documentary film The Sugar Babies, which exposed difficult conditions for children in the Dominican Republic.
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Early Life and Journey to America
Amy Serrano was born in Cuba shortly after a major revolution changed the country. When she was almost two years old, her family had to leave their home. She came to Miami, Florida, as a political refugee, which is a person who has to leave their country to find safety.
Serrano later went to Florida International University. She studied Sociology and Anthropology, focusing on the cultures and people of Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2007, she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, to focus on her writing.
Career as a Filmmaker
Serrano has created many important films that tell powerful stories. Many of her films have been shown on PBS, a public television network in the United States.
Telling Stories of the Cuban Experience
Her first major work was as a producer for the documentary Adios Patria? The Cuban Exodus. The film shares the stories of people who fled Cuba and arrived in South Florida. It features interviews with many different people and is narrated by the famous actor Andy Garcia.
She also produced Cafe con Leche: Voices of Exiles' Children. This film looks at the lives of the children of the first Cubans who came to the U.S. as they grew into young adults.
Highlighting Important Social Issues
Serrano directed and produced A Woman's Place: Voices of Contemporary Hispanic-American Women. This film featured the stories and experiences of notable Hispanic-American women.
She also directed a short film for a larger movie called Move!. This project brought together 11 filmmakers from around the world to explore human emotions.
The Sugar Babies Documentary
One of Serrano's most famous films is The Sugar Babies: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers on the Sugar Industry of the Dominican Republic. For this film, she investigated the difficult and unfair treatment of children working for large sugar companies, a system known as child labor.
The film, narrated by author Edwidge Danticat, showed the hard lives of these children and their families. Because the film exposed uncomfortable truths, some powerful companies and government officials were very angry. They tried to stop her and her work, but she continued to share the story.
Other Film Projects
Serrano has worked on other inspiring films. She directed a short film called Of Hope, Courage and Justice: A Global Mosaic of Women in Human Rights. She was also an associate producer for Havana: Portrait of Yesteryear, a film about the city of Havana, narrated by singer Gloria Estefan.
Currently, Serrano is working on a film called AIRMAN: The Extraordinary Life of Calvin G. Moret. It tells the amazing story of one of the last living Tuskegee Airmen from New Orleans. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military pilots in the United States Armed Forces.
Writing and Other Projects
Besides filmmaking, Amy Serrano is a talented writer and photographer.
Books and Poetry
In 2013, Serrano published her first book of poems, Of Fiery Places and Sacred Spaces. Her poems explore how people connect with different places. In 2024, she released another book called Saudades: Anthological Contemplations of Persons, Places, Identity and Time.
The word saudade is a Portuguese word that doesn't have a perfect English translation. It describes a deep feeling of longing or missing someone, something, or some place. Her book explores this universal feeling through poems, stories, and art.
Community and Human Rights Work
Serrano has used her skills to help different communities. She was asked by the Louisiana Division of the Arts to create a photo project about the Garifuna people in New Orleans. Her work, From Punta to Chumba: Garifuna Music and Dance in New Orleans, explores how women in the Garifuna community keep their traditions alive.
She has also been a leader in many human rights groups. She has served as a Senior Fellow for the Human Rights Foundation and has been on the boards of several organizations that work to empower women and protect human rights for everyone.
Awards and Recognition
Amy Serrano's work has earned her many awards and honors.
- The City of Miami officially named October 27 as "Amy Serrano Day" to honor her leadership.
- She was chosen by Clinique Cosmetics for a special exhibit called "Evolution of Woman," which celebrated inspiring women.
- Glamour Magazine has featured her three times, including as a "Woman of the Year."
- MEGA TV named her one of the most influential Hispanic people in the United States.
Personal Life
Serrano was married to Heath T. Peterson. He sadly passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic.
