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Rihanna Wears ‘Immigrant’ T-Shirt for Fourth of July

Rihanna. Photo: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images

Unlike First Lady Melania Trump’s Fourth of July outfit, Rihanna’s is not difficult to decode: On Thursday, the pop star and cricket enthusiast stepped off her flight to Barbados wearing a Fenty T-shirt with “Immigrant” printed across the back, and an explanation of the word’s Latin origins on the front. The choice does not seem like a coincidence: The president’s chaotic and exclusionary immigration policy has left tens of thousands of people in limbo at detention centers, the severe overcrowding and deplorable conditions drawing comparisons to concentration camps. A congressional delegation that visited Border Patrol stations this week described a “dehumanizing culture that treats [detainees] like animals.”

With the frankly harrowing situation at the U.S.-Mexico border in mind, Rihanna — originally from Barbados — released the aforementioned “Immigrant” shirt as part of her 6-19 Fenty collection, telling The Cut she hopes it will remind people that there are “a million Rihannas out there, getting treated like dirt.”

“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.”

Rihanna’s Fourth of July Look Does Not Mince Words