a million rihannas

Rihanna Takes a Stand for Immigrants: ‘If You Love Me, Everyone Out Here Is Just Like Me’

The immigration debate, now in T-shirt form.
The immigration debate, now in T-shirt form. Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images/Courtesy of Fenty

At her party on Tuesday night, Rihanna debuted her second collection for Fenty, known as 6-19 for the month and year of its release. The mood was tropical — this is a beachier Rihanna than the one who put out a first collection heavy on tailoring only a month ago — but among the cinched printed dresses and denim miniskirts, there was another piece that stood out: a T-shirt printed with the word “Immigrant” and tracing its origins, from the Latin. Rihanna called it a favorite.

“For me, it’s a prideful word,” she said. “To know that you can come from humble beginnings and just take over whatever you want to, dominate at whatever you put your mind to. The world becomes your oyster, and there’s no limit. Wherever I go, except for Barbados, I’m an immigrant. I think people forget that a lot of times. I think they see Rihanna the brand. But I think it’s important for people to remember, if you love me, everyone out here is just like me. A million Rihannas out there, getting treated like dirt.”

Anyone mistreating future Rihannas should consider himself officially warned: She’s got eyes on you. Not for nothing did she share videos of her new collection as captured by surveillance cam.

Rihanna Reminds Us That She’s an Immigrant, Too