Great Immigrants

Congratulations to the 2024 Great Immigrants honorees!

Every Fourth of July, Carnegie Corporation of New York celebrates remarkable Americans — all naturalized citizens — who have enriched and strengthened our democracy through their actions and contributions. 

The 2024 Class of Great Immigrants is comprised of naturalized citizens from 16 countries. The honorees represent a wide range of backgrounds and are recognized for their work in public service, education, health, journalism, the arts, and business, among other fields. They include three Nobel laureates, memoirist Leila Ahmed, rap musician Abbas (Bas) Hamad, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang, industrial designer Sir Jonathan (Jony) Ive, DC president Jim Lee, investigative journalist Maria Ressa, and Emmy winner Steven Yeun. 

“The 24 Americans honored today serve as a reminder of the economic and societal benefits that each new generation of immigrants brings to our country and the richness of talent, skills, and achievements they contribute to our democracy,” said Dame Louise Richardson, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York and a naturalized American citizen, born in Ireland. “In honor of our founder, Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant, we celebrate these extraordinary individuals who have made notable contributions to American society.”

The Corporation’s Strengthening U.S. Democracy program supports immigrant rights, integration, and naturalization for eligible residents. More than a decade ago, the Corporation helped establish the New Americans Campaign, a national collaborative of funders devoted to assisting in the naturalization process — about nine million lawful permanent residents or green card holders are currently eligible. Led by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, the campaign and its network of nonprofit partners have provided low-cost resources, including legal services, to more than 638,000 aspiring citizens.

Since 2006, the Corporation has named more than 740 Great Immigrants, forming one of the largest online resources of its type. The 2024 honorees, the 19th class in the program, will be recognized with a full-page public service announcement in the New York Times on the Fourth of July and through tributes on social media. Please join the celebration by sharing via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (Twitter) using the hashtag #GreatImmigrants.