Six Asian Americans among Carnegie's this year's 'Great Immigrants'

Six Asian Americans were among the 38 immigrants  named by the Carnegie corporation to its l2020 list of “Great Immigrants, Great Americans.”

Carnegie Corporation of New York released its annual list of Great Immigrants today, honoring naturalized citizens who have enriched and strengthened the United States and our democracy through their contributions and actions. 

"Great Immigrants have come from different backgrounds and have pursued different worthwhile goals, but collectively, they have shared a desire to become citizens and have made our democratic society stronger,” said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Each Fourth of July since 2006, the philanthropic foundation has invited Americans to celebrate these exemplary individuals by participating in its online tribute “Great Immigrants, Great Americans.”

This year, the Corporation is highlighting the work of millions of immigrants who are playing an essential role in the global health crisis as COVID-19 responders. A third of the honorees are helping the recovery by serving as nurses and doctors, as well as scientists who are striving to find effective treatments and a vaccine. 

Carnegie also honored clergy and community leaders who are providing food and vital services to those in need. Overall, the 2020 Great Immigrants represent 35 countries of origin and a wide range of contributions to American life, from human rights and computer science to art, business, education, health care, journalism, music, politics, religion, research, and sports.

The Asian Americans being honored this year are:

Raj Chetty Indian immigrant and Harvard University economist launched a real-time data tracker to measure the economic impact of the pandemic and assisted decision-makers as they implemented new public policies.

Siddhartha Mukherjee Indian immigrant, physician, and Pulitzer Prize–winning author used his communication skills to educate the public and build awareness about COVID-19 through forums and his widely read essays.

Stephanie Murphy was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Her family fled the country’s communist regime by boat when she was just 6-months old. Inspired by the Pulse mass shooting, in 2016 she became the first Vietnamese American woman elected to Congress.

Lisa Su, born in Taiwan. She developed an interest in technology early on, taking electronics apart as a child. In 2012 she joined Advance Micro Devices as senior vice president. Two years later, she was named AMD president and CEO, the company’s first female leader.

Hwajung Yoon South Korean immigrant and rescue paramedic with the Fire Department of New York provided high-level emergency care as the department responded to as many as 7,000 critical cases daily. 

Eric Yuan Chinese-born founder and CEO of Zoom created a platform that millions of Americans relied on to stay connected to family, friends, work, and school during the pandemic.

Read the full list of 2020 Great Immigrants, 

“Millions of brave Americans responded with selflessness and urgency to COVID-19, including immigrants, who represent one out of six nurses and one out of four physicians. Their contributions to health care, biomedicine, the nation’s food system, and many other critically important sectors are immeasurable,” said Gregorian. 

“We express our admiration and gratitude to the COVID-19 responders and researchers, and to all Great Immigrants. They have come from different backgrounds, and have pursued different worthwhile goals, but collectively, they have shared a desire to become citizens and have made our democratic society stronger," he said.

Gregorian noted that earlier Great Immigrants are also addressing the pandemic, including José Andrés, a chef whose nonprofit has helped feed millions of needy people and subsidized the reopening of hundreds of restaurants; Noubar Afeyan, a biotechnology entrepreneur who cofounded Moderna, an early front-runner in the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine; and David Ho, a renowned AIDS researcher who is now working to limit the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

As Donald Trump makes limiting immigration a cornerstone of his campaign, Carnegie point out other examples of extraordinary contributions can be found in research by the nonprofit public policy organization, National Foundation for American Policy. It shows that immigrants to the United States have won more than one-third of the Nobel Prizes awarded to Americans in chemistry, medicine, and physics since 1901. A recent report by a Corporation grantee, the nonprofit research and advocacy group New American Economy, looked at companies on the 2019 Fortune 500 list — 20 percent were founded by immigrants, creating millions of new jobs.

The Great Immigrants initiative is a tribute to the legacy of Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant who rose from poverty to become a leading industrialist.

The 2020 honorees, who mark the 15th class of Great Immigrants, will be recognized with a full-page public service announcement in the New York Times today, the Fourth of July, and through a social media tribute.