Lin Manuel Miranda said it best when he wrote, “Immigrants…we get the job done.” Immigrants may not always get their due credit in the building of America, but their works have undoubtedly shaped the fabric of our culture. Immigrants have touched all corners of American industry ranging from engineering to entertainment and everything in between. Though a select few have seen the limelight, others have remained unfortunately unacknowledged by the greater public. These are just some of our picks for immigrants who have shaped the country.
Haing S. Ngor
One of the less-acknowledged immigrants who made their mark on America, Haing S. Ngor was born in Cambodia in 1940. and lived much of his life in a Khmer Rouge concentration camp, avoiding exposing himself as a physician to survive. Following the fall of the regime in 1979, Dr. Ngor worked in Thailand as a doctor until he was able to immigrate to the United States in 1980. Just four years after his arrival, Dr. Ngor became an Academy Award winning actor in 1984’s The Killing Fields, which followed the Cambodian journalist and refugee Dith Pran. Dr. Ngor was one of only two non-professional actors who have ever won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He continued to act for the rest of his life, also writing a heart-wrenching memoir about his time under the Khmer Rouge regime. Dr. Ngor was tragically murdered outside his home in 1996.
Christiane Amanpour
For nearly 40 years, Christiane Amanpour has been the leading international media correspondent in the United States. The British-Iranian reporter moved to the United States to attend the University of Rhode Island where she received her degree in journalism. Beginning in 1983, Amanpour worked as a reporter for CNN, covering international events like the Bosnian War and the Persian Gulf War. She also interviewed numerous politicians from countries across the globe. From 2010 to 2012, she anchored for ABC News’ segment This Week. However, she soon began to split her time between ABC and CNN causing her to leave her anchor position. Upon her return to CNN, Amanpour anchored for CNN International while reporting global affairs for ABC. She continues to act as Chief International Anchor for CNN.
Enrico Fermi
Italian-born Enrico Fermi was often called the “architect of the nuclear age.” In 1938, Fermi escaped Italy with his Jewish wife who was affected by Italy’s newly passed anti-Semitic legislation, living as immigrants in America. While in the United States, he worked on the Manhattan Project which developed the first atomic bomb. Then, he led the team that developed the Chicago Pile-1, the world’s first nuclear reactor. As a physicist, he advanced the fields of quantum theory, particle physics, and statistical mechanics. Following the second World War, Fermi worked beneath J. Robert Oppenheimer to advise the Atomic Energy Commission and proposed astronomical and physical theories that changed the way scientists approached particle physics. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1938. Now, Fermi remains one of the few scientists with elements on the Periodic Table named for them.
I.M. Pei
Born in Guangzhou, China, I.M. Pei is one of the 20th and 21st centuries’ most prominent architects. He moved to the United States to study architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Later, he transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After working for an architectural magnate in New York City, he went on to design some of the most recognizable structures in the world including Mesa Laboratory, John F. Kennedy Library, and the pyramid at the Louvre Museum in Paris. In 1983, he was the recipient of the Pritzker Prize, often called the Nobel Prize of architecture. Pei died in 2019 at 102 years old.
Helping Immigrants in America with their Immigration Document Preparation in the Inland Empire
Immigration is a stressful, complicated process. Though it may feel as though you are on this journey alone, ProSe Legal can help you on your way. Our compassionate team of legal document assistants have years of experience helping clients complete and file naturalization applications, visa applications, and more. By working with a certified LDA, you can ensure your documents are filed right the first time, saving you time and money. If you need assistance completing or filing your immigration documents, contact us or call (909) 497-1349 today!
