Great Immigrants Award


The Great Immigrants Award is an annual initiative by the Carnegie Corporation of New York to honor naturalized citizens of the United States who have made significant contributions to American society, democracy, and culture. Established in 2006, the award celebrates the legacy of Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant and philanthropist who founded the Carnegie Corporation. The award is announced each year on the Fourth of July.

Background

The Great Immigrants Award was created to showcase the positive impact immigrants have on the United States across various fields such as business, the arts, education, and philanthropy.

Criteria and selection process

Honorees of the Great Immigrants Award are naturalized citizens of the United States who have demonstrated outstanding achievements and contributions in their respective fields. The selection process involves a comprehensive review of candidates' accomplishments, their impact on American society, and their commitment to the ideals of democracy and cultural diversity. The award has recognized individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, including business leaders, educators, artists, scientists, and public servants.

List of honorees

NameProfessionCountry of birth
Leila AhmedProfessor, Harvard Divinity School, and AuthorEgypt
Mohammed AmerComedian and ActorKuwait
Abhijit BanerjeeProfessor of Economics, MIT, and Nobel Prize LaureateIndia
Leon BotsteinPresident, Bard College, Conductor, and ScholarSwitzerland
Mariano-Florentino CuéllarPresident, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former California Supreme Court JusticeMexico
Esther DufloProfessor of Economics, MIT, and Nobel Prize LaureateFrance
Sonia GardnerHedge Fund Manager and Cofounder, Avenue Capital GroupMorocco
Viviana GradinaruProfessor of Neuroscience and Biological Engineering, CaltechRomania
Abbas HamadGrammy-Nominated RapperFrance
Eliu Misael HinojosaChief Impact Officer, engage2learn, and Former Superintendent, Dallas ISDMexico
Jensen HuangCofounder, President, and CEO, NVIDIATaiwan
Immaculée IlibagizaAuthor and Motivational SpeakerRwanda
Sir Jonathan IveArtist, Designer, and Technology ExecutiveEngland
Ashish Kumar JhaDean, School of Public Health, Brown UniversityIndia
Yann LeCunChief AI Scientist for Facebook AI Research France
Jim LeePresident, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer, DC ComicsSouth Korea
Homa NaficyLibrarian and Immigrant AdvocateFrance
Raj PanjabiGlobal Healthcare Leader, Entrepreneur, and Former White House OfficialLiberia
Eboo PatelFounder and President, Interfaith AmericaIndia
Lorgia García PeñaProfessor of Latinx Studies, Princeton UniversityDominican Republic
Maria RessaInvestigative Reporter and Nobel Prize LaureatePhilippines
Premal ShahSocial Entrepreneur and Cofounder, KivaIndia
Ocean VuongPoet, Novelist, and EssayistVietnam
Steven YeunEmmy-Winning and Academy Award–Nominated ActorSouth Korea

NameProfessionCountry of birth
Hakki AkdenizOwner, Champion Pizza, and Advocate for the HomelessTurkey
Michael AmiridisPresident, University of South CarolinaGreece
Bertine BahigeWyoming National Distinguished Principal, 2021Congo
Maria Elena BottazziProfessor and Associate Dean, Baylor College of MedicineItaly
Jorge CaveroDoctor and Professor, University of Illinois College of MedicineBolivia
Ibrahim CisséProfessor of Physics, MIT, and MacArthur FellowNiger
Herman CornejoPrincipal, American Ballet Theatre, and UN Messenger of PeaceArgentina
Bita DaryabariPhilanthropist, Entrepreneur, and Computer ScientistIran
Julie DelpyAward-Winning Actress, Director, and ScreenwriterFrance
Fabienne DoucetEducational Equity Advocate and Professor, New York UniversitySpain
Jill EllisSoccer Coach and President, San Diego Wave Fútbol ClubEngland
Daniel FinnPastor and Chaplain and Cofounder, Irish Pastoral Centre, BostonIreland
Lorena GarciaChef and Founder, Chica RestaurantsVenezuela
Jesus GarzaMayor, Arcola, IllinoisMexico
Aquilino GonellU.S. Capitol Police Officer and Congressional Gold Medal RecipientDominican Republic
Steffi GrafTennis Champion, Olympian, and Grand Slam WinnerGermany
Siegfried HeckerNuclear Scientist and Director Emeritus, Los Alamos National LaboratoryPoland
Nicole Hernandez HammerEnvironmental Scientist and Climate Justice and Labor Organizer, SEIUGuatemala
Lina HidalgoJudge and Chief Executive, Harris County, TexasColombia
Jorge LabargaJustice, Florida Supreme CourtCuba
Padma LakshmiHost and Executive Producer, Top Chef and Taste the NationIndia
MJ LeeWhite House Correspondent, CNNSouth Korea
Polina LishkoProfessor, University of California, Berkeley, and MacArthur FellowUkraine
Malinda LoNovelist and National Book Award WinnerChina
Syukuro ManabeProfessor, Princeton University, and Nobel LaureateJapan
Karen NakamuraProfessor of Anthropology, University of California, BerkeleyIndonesia
Arrey ObensonPresident and CEO, International Institute of St. LouisCameroon
Toyin Ojih OdutolaVisual ArtistNigeria
Ardem PatapoutianProfessor, Scripps Research Institute, and Nobel LaureateLebanon
Karl RacineAttorney General, District of ColumbiaHaiti
Punit RenjenGlobal CEO, DeloitteIndia
Tashitaa TufaaOwner, CEO, and President, Metropolitan Transportation NetworkEthiopia
Neil YoungMusician, Grammy Winner, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame InducteeCanada
Karen ZacaríasAward-Winning Playwright and Founder, Young Playwrights' TheaterMexico

NameProfessionCountry of birth
Njideka Akunyili CrosbyVisual ArtistNigeria
Fabian AriasPastor, Iglesia de Sion, Saint Peter's Church, New York CityArgentina
Geno AuriemmaHead Coach, University of Connecticut Women's BasketballItaly
Carmen C. BambachCurator, The Metropolitan Museum of ArtChile
Sven BeckertProfessor of American History, Harvard UniversityGermany
Asmeret Asefaw BerheProfessor of Soil Science and Falasco Chair in Earth Sciences, University of California, MercedEritrea
Afsaneh Mashayekhi BeschlossFounder and CEO, RockCreekIran
Luciana BorioVP, In-Q-Tel; Former Director, Medical and Biodefense Preparedness, National Security CouncilBrazil
Joy BuolamwiniFounder, Algorithmic Justice League; Researcher, MIT Media LabCanada
David ByrneMusician and FilmmakerScotland
Rukmini CallimachiForeign Correspondent, The New York TimesRomania
Fadi ChehadéCo-CEO, Ethos Capital; Former President and CEO, ICANNLebanon
Raj ChettyProfessor of Economics, Harvard UniversityIndia
Ana Navarro-CárdenasPolitical Strategist and Commentator, CNN; Cohost, The ViewNicaragua
Monica Ponce de LeonArchitect and Founder, MPdL Studio; Professor and Dean, School of Architecture, Princeton UniversityVenezuela
Yaa GyasiAuthorGhana
Hans M. KristensenDirector, Nuclear Information Project, Federation of American ScientistsDenmark
Marie LafontantRegistered Nurse, Burn Unit, University of Chicago Medical CenterHaiti
Pedro MartinezSuperintendent, San Antonio Independent School DistrictMexico
Afaf I. MeleisProfessor of Nursing and Sociology and Dean Emerita, University of Pennsylvania School of NursingEgypt
Miriam MeradDirector of the Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiAlgeria
Siddhartha MukherjeeAuthor and PhysicianIndia
Stephanie MurphyU.S. Congresswoman, Florida, District 7Vietnam
Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'imProfessor of Law, Emory University School of LawSudan
Catherine O'HaraActressCanada
Judea PearlComputer Scientist and Professor, University of California, Los AngelesIsrael
Anna PodolanczukPhysician and Researcher, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical CenterPoland
Alexei RatmanskyChoreographer and Artist in Residence, American Ballet TheaterRussia
Teresa RomeroPresident, United Farm WorkersMexico
Goli SheikholeslamiPresident and CEO, New York Public RadioKuwait
Moncef SlaouiPhysician, Vaccine Researcher, and Chief Advisor, Operation Warp SpeedMorocco
Art SpiegelmanGraphic Novelist and CartoonistSweden
Lt. Gen. Vincent StewartFormer Deputy Commander, U.S. Cyber Command; Former Director, Defense Intelligence AgencyJamaica
Lisa SuPresident and CEO, Advanced Micro Devices Taiwan
Ramon TallajPhysician; Founder and Chair, SOMOSDominican Republic
M. Stanley WhittinghamProfessor of Chemistry, Binghamton University, State University of New YorkEngland
Paul YoonRescue Paramedic, FDNYSouth Korea
Eric YuanFounder and CEO, ZoomChina

NameProfessionCountry of birth
Art AcevedoChief of Police, Houston, TexasCuba
Matee AjavonProfessional Basketball PlayerLiberia
Mohamad AliCEO, CarboniteGuyana
Ruth BeharAnthropologist and WriterCuba
Nicolas BerggruenFounder and Chairman, Berggruen InstituteFrance
Max BootMilitary Historian and ColumnistRussia
Salud CarbajalU.S. Congressman, California, District 24Mexico
Ana Mari CaucePresident, University of WashingtonCuba
Bernard CherkasovExecutive Director, Cradles to CrayonsAzerbaijan
Kerron ClementOlympic Gold Medalist in Track and FieldTrinidad and Tobago
Rocco CommissoFounder, Chairman, and CEO, MediacomItaly
Adriano EspaillatU.S. Congressman, New York, District 13Dominican Republic
Mona Hanna-AttishaPediatrician and Public Health AdvocateUnited Kingdom
James P. GormanCEO, Morgan StanleyAustralia
Pramila JayapalU.S. Congresswoman, Washington, District 7India
Dara KhosrowshahiCEO, UberIran
Valentina KozlovaFormer Principal Dancer, New York City BalletRussia
Daniel LibeskindArchitectPoland
Martyna MajokPlaywright, Pulitzer Prize in DramaPoland
Imbolo MbueAuthor, PEN/Faulkner Award for FictionCameroon
Shuji NakamuraEngineer, Nobel Prize in PhysicsJapan
Thomas NagelPhilosopher, Rolf Schock Prize in Logic and PhilosophySerbia
Kumail NanjianiActor and WriterPakistan
Yvonne OrjiActressNigeria
Carlos R. PonceNeuroscientist, Washington University School of Medicine in St. LouisMexico
Antoni RibasPhysician and Director, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, UCLASpain

NameProfessionCountry of birth
Noubar AfeyanEntrepreneur, venture capitalist, philanthropistLebanon
Selu AlofipoArtist, White House “Champion of Change”Samoa
Samantha BeeActress, comedianCanada
Peter Blair HenryDean, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York UniversityJamaica
Len BlavatnikIndustrialist, philanthropistUkraine
Roberta CappPhysician and Public Health ExpertBrazil
Jim CarreyActor, ComedianCanada
Mariano CastilloJournalist; Soros Fellowship for New Americans recipientPeru
Marcelo ClaureCEO of SoftBank International and former CEO, SprintBolivia
Nadia ComaneciFive-time Olympic gold medalist in gymnasticsRomania
Ron DanielsPresident, Johns Hopkins UniversityCanada
Michaela DePrinceBallerina, Dutch National BalletSierra Leone
Jaha DukurehFounder, Safe Hands for GirlsGambia
John L. EstradaU.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago
Florent GrobergU.S. Army Captain France
Farnam JahanianProvost, Carnegie Mellon UniversityIran
Sally JewellFormer U.S. Secretary of the InteriorEngland
Jan KoumCo-founder and former CEO, WhatsAppUkraine
Fei-Fei LiComputer Scientist, GoogleChina
Viet X. LuongU.S. Army Brigadier GeneralVietnam
Iqram Magdon-IsmailTechnology EntrepreneurZimbabwe
Vikram MalhotraChairman of the Americas, McKinsey & CompanyIndia
Mehret MandefroPhysician, anthropologist, filmmakerEthiopia
Michael MoritzChairman, Sequoia CapitalWales
Bharati MukherjeeNational Book Critics Circle Award-winning authorIndia
Peter A. NadosyManaging Partner, East End AdvisorsHungary
Graham NashGrammy Award-winning singer-songwriterEngland
Jacqueline H. NguyenUnited States Circuit JudgeVietnam
Deogratias NiyizonkizaFounder and CEO, Village HealthWorksBurundi
Bennet OmaluForensic Pathologist, Discoverer of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Nigeria
Jorge M. PérezChairman and CEO, Related Group of FloridaArgentina
Thuan PhamCTO, Uber Technologies, Inc.Vietnam
Sundar PichaiCEO, GoogleIndia
Ana Luz PorzecanskiConservation Biologist, Director, Center for Biodiversity & Conservation, Museum of Natural HistoryUruguay
Wolfgang PuckChef and restaurateurAustria
Azita RajiFormer Ambassador to Sweden, United States of AmericaIran
Shaiza RizaviPartner, Gilder, Gagnon, Howe & Co.Pakistan
Isabella RosselliniActress, model, filmmakerItaly
Aziz SancarBiochemist and Biophysicist, University of North Carolina, Chapel HillTurkey
Piers J. SellersFormer NASA astronaut; Deputy Director, NASA Sciences and Exploration DirectorateUnited Kingdom
Hari SreenivasanAnchor and Senior Correspondent, PBS NewsHourIndia

NameProfessionCountry of birth
Andre AcimanWriterEgypt
Einat AdmonyChef, AuthorIsrael
Avakian ArsenCEO, Argo TeaArmenia
Reza AslanAuthorIran
Roy L. AustinFormer U.S. Ambassador to TrinidadSaint Vincent and the Grenadines
Ralph H. BaerInventorGermany
Rosemary BarkettFederal JudgeMexico
Rudy BoschwitzFormer U.S. SenatorGermany
Andres CantorSportscasterArgentina
JuJu ChangBroadcast journalist, ABC's NightlineSouth Korea
Steve ChenEntrepreneurTaiwan
Maria Contreras-SweetAdministrator, U.S. Small Business AdministrationMexico
Tan DunComposerChina
Patrick GaspardU.S. Ambassador to South AfricaCongo
Ivar GiaeverPhysicistNorway
Sophia GrojsmanPerfumerBelarus
Roger GuilleminNeuroscientistFrance
Carolina HerreraFashion designerVenezuela
Manuela HoelterhoffJournalistGermany
Jacques JihaCommissioner, New York City Dept. of FinanceHaiti
Joyce L. KennardJusticeIndonesia
Daniel Dae KimActorSouth Korea
Rich LittleComedianCanada
Aasif MandviActorIndia
Dave MatthewsMusicianSouth Africa
Satya NadellaCEO, MicrosoftIndia
Yoichiro NambuPhysicistJapan
Masi OkaActorJapan
Neri OxmanArchitectIsrael
Gholam PeymanOphthalmologistIran
Elena PirozhkovaWrestlerRussia
Sara RamirezActressMexico
Pardis SabetiComputational biologistIran
Beheruz SethnaProfessorIndia
Shimon ShmueliBusinessperson, InventorIsrael
Maria SiemionowSurgeonPoland
Subra SureshPresident, Carnegie Mellon UniversityIndia
Vivienne TamFashion designerChina
David TranBusinesspersonVietnam
Louis Van AmstelDancerNetherlands
Lillian VernonEntrepreneurGermany

NameProfessionCountry of birth
Jill Ker ConwayWriter and College PresidentAustralia
Goli AmeriDiplomatIran
Cyrus Amir-MokriAdvisorIran
Michael AradArchitectUnited Kingdom
Monika BauerleinJournalist, Editor-in-ChiefGermany
Hamid BiglariTheoretical physicistIran
Theodore BikelActor, musicianAustria
Robert BirgeneauUniversity administratorCanada
Bert BlylevenProfessional baseball playerNetherlands
Martin BrodeurProfessional hockey playerCanada
Carlos BustamanteBiophysicistPeru
Tony DovolaniDancerKosovo
Nariman FarvardinUniversity administratorIran
Youssef GhafariBusinesspersonLebanon
Martin IndykDiplomatUnited Kingdom
Ayesha JalalHistorianPakistan
Lubomir KavalekChess master, journalistCzechia
Fred KavliPhysicist, businesspersonNorway
Gerda Weissmann KleinWriterPoland
Walter KohnPhysicistAustria
Michel KouakouDancer, choreographerCôte d'Ivoire
Angela LansburyActressUnited Kingdom
Chang-Rae LeeNovelistSouth Korea
Ivan LendlProfessional tennis playerCzechia
Colum MccannWriterIreland
Cheryl Diaz MeyerPhotojournalistPhilippines
Mike MeyersComedianCanada
Vali NasrForeign policy expertIran
Joseph NeubauerBusinesspersonPalestine, State of
Mohammad H. QayoumiPresident, San Jose State UniversityAfghanistan
L. Rafael ReifPresident, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyVenezuela
Sanya Richards-RossTrack and field athleteJamaica
Abuhena SaifulislamNavy chaplainBangladesh
Meryle SecrestBiographerUnited Kingdom
Harold ShapiroEconomistCanada
Shirin Tahir-KheliPolitical scientistIndia
Andrew ThomasAstronautAustralia
Alice Y. TingChemistTaiwan
Satish K. TripathiPresident, University at BuffaloIndia
Chui L. TsangUniversity administratorChina
Victor UkpoloChancellor, Southern University at New OrleansNigeria
Lauri VaskaChemistEstonia
Nora VolkowPsychiatristMexico
Richard WolffeJournalist and authorUnited Kingdom
Jenny MingPresident and CEO, Charlotte RusseChina

NameProfessionCountry of birth
Paul AnkaSingerCanada
Anousheh AnsariEngineer, entrepreneurIran
Joseph AounPresident, Northeastern UniversityLebanon
Lidia BastianichChefCroatia
Elizabeth BlackburnResearcherAustralia
Willard BoylePhysicistCanada
Yefim BronfmanPianistUzbekistan
Denise Scott BrownArchitectZambia
Semyon BychkovConductorRussia
Simon ChoSpeed skaterSouth Korea
Andrei CodrescuAuthor, poetRomania
Harold EvansJournalistUnited Kingdom
Tariq FaridEntrepreneurPakistan
Ping FuEntrepreneurChina
Ric FulopEntrepreneurVenezuela
Wayne GretzkyProfessional hockey playerCanada
Noosheen HashemiPhilanthropist, investorIran
Maria HinojosaJournalistMexico
Djimon HounsouActorBenin
Gata KamskyChess grandmasterRussia
Sukhee KangPoliticianSouth Korea
Charles KaoPhysicistChina
Har Gobind KhoranaOrganic chemistPakistan
Maria Elena LagomasinoCEO & Managing Partner, WE Family OfficesCuba
Jhumpa LahiriWriterUnited Kingdom
John LiuPoliticianTaiwan
Joan MassaguéResearcherSpain
Alejandro MayorkasLawyerCuba
Paul MerageBusinesspersonIran
Elon MuskEntrepreneurSouth Africa
Nitin NohriaDean, Harvard Business SchoolIndia
Yoko OnoArtist, musicianJapan
Feniosky Peńa-MoraEngineerDominican Republic
Paulina PorizkovaFashion modelCzechia
Marcus SamuelssonChefEthiopia
Fayez SarofimBusinesspersonEgypt
Nadja Salerno SonnenbergViolinistItaly
Jack SzostakBiochemistUnited Kingdom
Tracey UllmanComedianUnited Kingdom
Alexander VarshavskyBiochemistRussia
Andrew James ViterbiEngineerItaly
Zygi WilfChairman, Minnesota VikingsGermany
Anna WintourArtistic Director, Condé Nast PublicationsUnited Kingdom
Joe WongComedianChina
Flossie Wong-StaalVirologistChina
Ahmed H. ZewailChemistEgypt

NameProfessionCountry of birth
Cristina V. BeatoDoctor and public health professionalCuba
W. Michael BlumenthalFormer U.S. Secretary of the TreasuryGermany
Pierce BrosnanActorIreland
Franklin Chang-DiazAstronaut, physicistCosta Rica
Philippe De MontebelloFormer director of the Metropolitan Museum of ArtFrance
Junot DiazAuthorDominican Republic
Jaime EscalanteEducatorBolivia
Daisy Expósito-UllaCEO, D Esposito and PartnersCuba
Peter FramptonMusicianUnited Kingdom
John FughMajor general, advocateChina
Riccardo GiacconiPhysicistItaly
Stanley GorencGeneralSlovenia
Beverly HallEducation administratorJamaica
Le Ly HayslipAuthorVietnam
Ha JinAuthor, poetChina
Andrea JungPresident and CEO, Avon ProductsCanada
Teresa Heinz KerryBusinesspersonPortugal
Renu KhatorChancellor, University of Houston SystemIndia
John KlugeEntreprenuerGermany
Madeleine KuninFormer governor of VermontSwitzerland
Loida LewisBusinesspersonPhilippines
Vincent MaiBusinesspersonSouth Africa
Elsa MuranoPresident, Texas A&M UniversityCuba
Josie NatoriFashion designerPhilippines
Martina NavratilovaProfessional tennis playerCzechia
Hakeem OlajuwonProfessional basketball playerNigeria
David J. O’ReillyChairman and CEO, Chevron CorporationIreland
David OrtizProfessional baseball playerDominican Republic
Frank OzActor, directorUnited Kingdom
Vikram S. PanditBankerIndia
Itzhak PerlmanViolinist and ConductorIsrael
Alfredo Quińones- HinojosaSurgeonMexico
Ciro RodriguezFormer U.S. RepresentativeMexico
Felix G. RohatynInvestment bankerAustria
Morley SaferBroadcasterCanada
Roald SagdeevPhysicistRussia
Renata ScottoOpera singerItaly
Charles SimicPoetSerbia
Steven Udvar-HazyCEO, Air Lease CorporationHungary
Osi UmenyioraProfessional football playerNigeria
Pinchas ZuckermanViolinistIsrael

Ann-MargretActorSweden
ImanFashion model, businesspersonSomalia
Madeleine AlbrightU.S. Secretary of State Czechia
Isabel AllendeAuthorChile
Mario AndrettiRacecar driverItaly
Isaac AsimovAuthorRussia
Mikhail BaryshnikovDancerLatvia
Gunter BlobelBiologistGermany
Sergey BrinCo-founder, GoogleRussia
Elaine ChaoFormer U.S. Secretary of LaborTaiwan
Deepak ChopraAuthorIndia
Edwidge DanticatAuthorHaiti
Oscar De La RentaFashion designerDominican Republic
Viet DinhLawyerVietnam
Gloria EstefanMusicianCuba
Patrick EwingProfessional basketball playerJamaica
Hanna Holborn GrayFormer president, University of ChicagoGermany
Andrew GroveBusinesspersonHungary
Rajat GuptaBusinesspersonIndia
Zalmay KhalilzadDiplomatAfghanistan
Henry KissingerFormer U.S. Secretary of StateGermany
Tom LantosFormer U.S. RepresentativeHungary
Yo-Yo MaCellistFrance
Pedro MartinezProfessional baseball playerDominican Republic
Mike NicholsFilm and theater directorGermany
Pierre OmidyarEntrepreneur and PhilanthropistFrance
I. M. PeiArchitectChina
Cesar PelliArchitectArgentina
Ileana Ros-LehtinenCongresswoman, Cuba
John ShalikashviliGeneralPoland
M. Night ShyamalanFilm directorIndia
Gene SimmonsMusicianIsrael
George SorosInvestor, philnathropistHungary
An WangBusinesspersonChina
James WolfensohnFormer president, World BankAustralia
Elias ZerhouniRadiologistAlgeria