Great Immigrants, Great Stories: Carnegie Corporation of New York Celebrates What Immigrants Give Back to America

July 4th Public Service Ad, Website Honor Notable Immigrants

NEW YORK, July 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Immigrants who become naturalized citizens are central to the story of America, and this July 4(th) , Carnegie Corporation of New York once again celebrates immigrants whose achievements have helped enrich the fabric of our nation.

This Independence Day, as it has every year since 2006, the Corporation has commissioned a full-page public service ad in The New York Times saluting immigrants who have contributed to the strength of American democracy and the vitality of our national life.

"When immigrants take the oath to become American citizens, that is both a wonderful and a powerful act," said Vartan Gregorian, President of Carnegie Corporation of New York and himself a naturalized citizen. "Hence, it is fitting that on July 4(th) , when we commemorate the birth of our nation, we also honor both the rights and responsibilities of citizenship: not only the freedom to pursue our personal goals but also our obligation to contribute to the collective good and participate in the progress of our society."

The 43 naturalized citizens featured in the ad include author Jamaica Kincaid and visual artist Shirin Neshat; philanthropy leader Aso Tavitian; journalists Doualy Xaykaothao and Mohamad Bazzi; scholars Shibley Telhami and Nina Khrushcheva; scientist Joanna Wysocka; jurist Sri Srinivasan, business and technology leaders Sebastian Thrun and Safra Catz, and U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono. Carnegie Corporation's founder, steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, an immigrant from Scotland, was committed to giving back to America and mankind.

This year, Carnegie Corporation is also launching a companion website, "Great Immigrants: The Pride of America," at greatimmigrants.carnegie.org, which includes this year's honorees and those celebrated in previous years. The site also features a timeline [http://greatimmigrants.carnegie.org/timeline/] highlighting Andrew Carnegie's experiences as an immigrant.
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