World Bank President, Oscar winner among Asian American immigrants honored by Carnegie

As Immigrant Heritage Month came to a close, on June 28 the Carnegie Corporation of New York announced its annual list of Great Immigrants, honoring 35 naturalized citizens who have enriched and strengthened our society and our democracy.

Each Fourth of July since 2006, the philanthropic foundation has invited Americans to celebrate these exemplary individuals by participating in its online public awareness campaign, Great Immigrants, Great Americans. #GreatImmigrants

Among the honorees are Ajay Banga, the newly installed World Bank President, Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan and "Pachinko" author Min Jin Lee.

 In an interview with Carnegie, Banga expressed the importance of diversity that immigrants bring to the US workplace:

"At the end of the day, if you surround yourself with people who look like you, who walk like you and talk like you, and grew up in the same places you did and worked with you in your prior jobs, then you will have a sense of comfort of hiring people around you who have that familiarity. But you will also have the same blind spots. You will miss the same trends. You will miss the same opportunities."

Lee, whose novel “Pachinko” was a National Book Awards finalist, said she was honored to be on the Carnegie list because “it’s an honest look at America.”

“There’s this thinking that immigrants are yellow, black, and brown people from somewhere else and ‘they have all these needs,’ rather than ‘they have all these assets,’ ” said Lee, who emigrated from South Korea with her family when she was a child. 

“I think that this list is a really good reflection of our assets, what we bring to the table, and how we make the team stronger.”

Lee told the Associated Press that anti-immigrant political rhetoric is essentially a distraction from economic inequality and ongoing systemic racism.

“Toxic rhetoric against immigrants really forgets the entire history of America, which is that without immigrants, we have nothing,” she said. “I’m really grateful that the Carnegie Corporation of New York is bringing back the centrality of immigration as a force for good in the United States.”

For generations, immigrants have come to the United States seeking opportunities for themselves and their families. Among this year’s honorees are individuals who have fostered opportunities for others through their work as educators, mentors, philanthropists, job creators, public servants, storytellers, and advocates.

“The Great Immigrants initiative is a tribute to the legacy of Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant who, like these honorees, found success in America, contributed enormously to his adopted country, and inspired others to do the same,” said Dame Louise Richardson, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York, and a naturalized citizen who first came to the United States from Ireland as a graduate student. 

“The 35 naturalized citizens honored today embody that tradition, reminding us that the contributions of immigrants make our country more vibrant and our democracy more resilient.”

The2023 Class of Great Immigrants is comprised of naturalized citizens from 33 countries and a wide range of backgrounds and fields. 

The seven Asian American immigrants,are:

• Ajay Banga (India) As the newly elected president of the World Bank, Banga aims to lead the organization in tackling climate change and confronting the toughest challenges facing developing countries.

• Betty Kwan Chinn (China) Founder, Betty Kwan Chinn Homeless Foundation

• Min Jin Lee (South Korea) Author and National Book Award Finalist

• Ted Lieu (Taiwan) US Congressman, California, District 36

• Ke Huy Quan (Vietnam) Academy Award–Winning Actor

• Oscar A. Solis (Philippines) 10th Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City

• Ponsi Trivisvavet (Thailand) CEO and Director, Inari
• FYI: For the complete list of immigrants honored by Carnegie, click here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter or at his blog Views From the Edge.

National Immigrant Heritage Month continues celebration of AANHPI communities

The official Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month may have ended May 31 but the celebration of AANHPI continues into June.

"TheUnited States is a nation of immigrants,"  said President Biden in proclaiming June as Immigrant Heritage Month. 

The fastest growing immigrant group in the US come from the countries of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Immigration from Asia. is outpacing immigration from Latin American and in a few decades, will be the largest source of immigrants coming to these shores.

"Immigrants fuel our economy and work in every profession, including health care, public service, law, education, engineering, construction, caregiving, manufacturing, service, agriculture, and countless other industries.,"  he said.

"They create new businesses, small and large, and generate millions of jobs in America.  They are essential workers, providing critical services during COVID-19 and serving on the frontlines of research for vaccines and treatments.  Immigrants have also helped the United States lead the world in science, technology, and innovation while contributing to the arts, culture, and government," continued Biden.

Biden emphasized America's role as a have for refugees, from those fleeing the ravages of war in Europe during and after WWII, to those fleeing conflict from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos after the Vietnam War; to the tens of thousands of Afghan refugees recently admitted from when the US left their country.

Some key facts about Asian American immigrants, according to the Pew Research Center: 

Around six-in-ten Asian Americans (57%), including 71% of Asian American adults, were born in another country. By comparison, 14% of all Americans – and 17% of adults – were born elsewhere.

The modern immigration wave from Asia has accounted for a quarter of all immigrants who have arrived in the U.S. since 1965. But when and how Asian immigrants arrived in the US varies, which helps explain why some Asian origin groups are more likely than others to be U.S. born. For example, immigrants account for only 27% of Japanese Americans, who began arriving in the 19th century as plantation workers in what is now the state of Hawaii. By contrast, many Bhutanese arrived recently as refugees, and a large majority (85%) are foreign born.

Asian Americans are projected to be the nation’s largest immigrant group by the middle of the century. Single-race, non-Hispanic Asians are projected to become the largest immigrant group in the country, surpassing Hispanics in 2055. By then, Asians are expected to make up 36% of all U.S. immigrants, while Hispanics will make up 34%, according to population projections from the Pew Research Center.

People from Asia made up about 14% of the 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2017. Four nations in Asia were among the top 15 countries of birth for US unauthorized immigrants: India (525,000), China (375,000), the Philippines (160,000) and Korea (150,000).

Biden concluded the proclamation: "Each generation of immigrants has made our Nation stronger and reaffirmed that diversity is — and always has been — our greatest strength." 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Celebrate America's immigrant heritage this month

JUNE IS Immigrant Heritage Month, and given the shrill and often negative rhetoric we hear around immigration, it seems more important than ever to take time to appreciate our immigration history and what newcomers bring to our nation and our lives.

America’s diversity–fueled in great part by immigrants–makes us stronger and more connected as a nation.

Since June of 2014, Immigrant Heritage Month has given people across the United States an opportunity to explore their own heritage and celebrate the shared diversity that forms the unique story of America. This belief fueled the wildly successful 2016 launch of the ‘I Am An Immigrant’ campaign, which encourages all Americans to celebrate the monumental contributions that immigrants have made—and continue to make every day.

Though our country’s roots can be largely traced back to successive generations of immigrants, many of today’s federal immigration policies ignore and do a disservice to that history.

However, there are bright spots, as state and local governments increasingly pursue immigration policies and initiatives that integrate immigrants and capitalize on the new energy they bring to local communities.

Additionally, a growing number of communities have adopted welcoming policies where local governments and community groups work to devise innovative programs and policies that help immigrants integrate into the fabric of the city, and, in return, become more productive community members.

Interestingly, some of the states welcoming and benefitting from immigration now were once struggling with the issue, even passing punitive immigration enforcement policies. However, many are rethinking their old exclusionary policies and are reaping the benefits as a result.

Many of these welcoming cities are also participating in Immigrant Heritage Month activities as another way to bring neighbors together. Through events across America, communities will celebrate the contributions that immigrants have made and continue to make to our nation.

This type of community building that local communities are taking on is powerful.

Through Immigrant Heritage Month, Welcome.US is reminding all of us to explore our own immigrant heritage, and the diversity that comes from being a nation of immigrants.

To celebrate our immigrant heritage, click here to find an event near you.

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