Jesús Morales, a.k.a.
Juixxe on TikTok with millions of followers, has showered day laborers and street vendors with donations of cash and trips to Disneyland. Those viral outings and social media acclaim ended up giving him unique access to the systemic barriers immigrant entrepreneurs face. “We never really take things seriously, but then we do get serious,” said Morales, referring to the behind-the-scenes conversations he has with his subjects.
“They’ll start really speaking about their struggles and their journey.” Morales has become widely known by his social media name Juixxe— pronounced like “juice.” He’s a 27-year-old TikTok sensation with more than 5 million followers and the Latino creator has made a name for himself by soliciting donations for street vendors and day laborers, usually surprising them with trips to Disneyland , tickets to soccer matches or hundreds of dollars in cash.
Morales’ videos recently led to a Premios Juventud nomination in the “Creator con Causa” category, which recognizes creators who make videos highlighting important social issues. He did not win but Morales’ work is still beloved by many on social media, as evidenced by the hundreds of comments lauding him for his work. Throughout his four-year social media career, Morales estimates that $700,000 has been donated to vendors and day laborers.
Despite his impressive fundraising efforts, Morales says that raising money alone isn’t enough. “I wanted to do some.