Born in Liberia, Raj Panjabi is a global healthcare leader who served as the top pandemic and health official at the U.S. National Security Council from 2021 to 2023. A new Carnegie-commissioned comic series highlights Panjabi’s story and the stories of other naturalized citizens who enrich American society and strengthen our democracy.
Rajesh (Raj) Ramesh Panjabi was nine years old when he escaped a civil war in his home country of Liberia and immigrated with his family to the United States. He returned to Liberia as a young medical student, cofounding Last Mile Health to save lives in some of the world’s most remote communities by partnering with governments to create national networks of community health professionals. The organization played a key role in battling the West Africa Ebola epidemic, helping to train over 1,000 health workers.
From 2021 to 2023, Panjabi served as White House senior director and special assistant to the president for global health security and biodefense, playing a lead role in executing the 2022 National Biodefense Strategy and American Pandemic Preparedness Plans. Named one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” by Time magazine, Panjabi told graduates during a commencement address at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, “As an immigrant, I deeply believe that we are not defined — as people or as professionals — by the circumstances we face, but rather by how we respond to them.”
Every Fourth of July, Carnegie Corporation of New York celebrates the exemplary contributions of immigrants to American life, as part of its focus on reducing political polarization and strengthening democracy. To highlight their stories, the foundation has commissioned a new comic series that illustrates how naturalized citizens enrich American society.
Download Raj Panjabi’s full comic here.
* Since 1975, 3.5 million refugees have fled to America to avoid persecution in their home countries. Each year, they pay tens of billions of dollars in taxes. (Source: Starting Anew: The Economic Impact of Refugees in America, American Immigration Council, June 2023)
Eline Jongsma and Kel O’Neill lead Jongsma + O’Neill, a nonfiction storytelling studio. They are Sundance fellows, Emmy nominees, and the creators of the immersive exhibition Loot. 10 Stories, which won the 2024 XR-History Award.
Chuan Ming Ong is a Dutch illustrator whose illustrations have appeared in publications including the New Yorker, the Los Angeles Times, and Nikkei Asia.
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