The Golden Door to America

Since 1886, according to U.S. News & World Report, "nearly 40 million immigrants have passed through 'the golden door' and eventually become Americans." Most have been successful in establishing themselves in this dynamic nation. From a purely material viewpoint, some would appear to have achieved everything by becoming millionaires. But there is another side to the coin.

Why did these masses stream to the United States? Because the United States, with its strong democratic traditions and unrivaled affluence, was destined to become an increasingly attractive sanctuary for those fleeing political or economic oppression.

Now, these aliens come mainly from Mexico and from Central and South America to find work. But the 12 million migrants during the years 1892 to 1954, for the most part, were running away from oppression, starvation and death. In many cases they moved from one form of poverty to another. Upon arrival to the USA many had to live in vermin-infested housing that most native Americans would not tolerate. They took the lowest paid and most menial jobs. Anxiety arose "back home" as news of the conditions most had to endure in their new country reached the relatives they had left behind. But they continued to swarm across the ocean and stay under those conditions.

Think about it, migrants came because America still had it better than the world they left. There was a great gap between the economy of the United States and that of Third World countries, South America and countries such as Ireland. Immigrants could often make in a day in the USA what it took a week or more to earn at home - if jobs were available, that is.

In other words, in spite of the poverty in the United States, conditions were still better than where they came from.

Play this as you read, it is beautiful but haunting.

The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. instituted the Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards in April 2001 as part of the grand opening of the American Family Immigration History Center at Ellis Island

The Ellis Island Family Heritage and The Peopling of America Awards have been made to celebrate the lives and contributions made by the over 17 million immigrants who came through the Golden Door to America at Ellis Island. It is interesting to note that about 40% of Americans living now have ancestors who were among the brave and tenacious who entered the USA via port of new York and Ellis Island.

I will endeavor to give you a glimpse into their new lives, in this new country where so much else was new to them and/or their children as they attained to heights of fame.

Let us reflect on their journey, their courage and determination, and honor the unique contributions the American pioneers have made to the "American Dream."

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Public Domain

I have put together a written montage of these recipients. You, no doubt, will be familiar with many of those who have been honored over the years.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons Share-Alike 2.5 license. Author: chehsiyuan

The First of Award Honorees

ARTS: Irving Berlin - Because of Pogroms in Russia, Irving Berlin escaped to the United States through Ellis Island with his family at age five.

When his father died, Berlin was 14. He had to quit school and sold newspapers to help the family live. When he was older he got a job at a saloon where he soon became popular as a singer/songwriter. His Irish boss nicknamed him "Yiddish, Yankee Doodle" because he sometimes sang patriotic songs to the customers.

Berlin got his big break when he was hired as a staff lyricist with the Ted Snyder Company. His song "Alexander's Ragtime Band" started a new dance craze and his career took off.

Many of Irving Berlin's hundreds of songs became hits and by the time he turned thirty he was referred to as "a legend."

I feel sure that you will have heard a few, or all of these songs:

Alexander's Ragtime Band,

Easter Parade

White Christmas

Happy Holiday

here's No Business Like Show Business

God Bless America.

More on: Irving Berlin.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

YOUNG SURVIVOR: Felicita Salto - Immigrated through Ellis Island from Italy, arriving in 1920 at the age of six, Felicita may not have remembered much of her journey to New York. Little could she have imagined that years later she would be able to see a picture of the ship she sailed on, and the details of her arrival, as well as those who travelled with her. Her details, along with millions of others, were stored on microfilm. The Mormon Church, which has a particular interest in genealogy, provided the manpower to transfer the original passenger manifests onto computer and through the new database, perhaps she was able to re-live her experience.

Felicita passed away in 2003 at the age of 98.

YOUNG SURVIVOR: - Marinus deNooyer - Emigrated from the Netherlands at the age of seven, arriving on Ellis Island in 1905. Not much is known about him except that he lived to be 104 years old and died Jan. 2, 2002.

ENTERTAINMENT: Seymour (Rechtzeit) Rexsite - Musical prodigy who became an actor and singer of the Yiddish Theatre, immigrated from Poland at the age of eight, arriving on Ellis Island in 1920. Immigration quotas prevented Seymour's mother and other siblings from emigrating from Poland, so Seymour sang a song, which his brother Jack had composed, before President Calvin Coolidge which so moved the President that he granted the entry visas. Seymour Rexsite died Oct.14/02.

For more on: Seymour Rexsite

Relive Seymour's Journey from Poland

Listen to Seymour Rexsite as you view the rest of this lens.

A glimpse into the life of Seymour Rexsite and the fabulous woman he loved.

Ellis Island Family Heritage Award Honorees

ENTERTAINMENT: Bob Hope - May 29,1903 - July 27, 2003 One of the world's most beloved entertainers, Bob Hope is also one of the most famous Ellis Island immigrants. Born Leslie Townes Hope in Etham, London, England he became actor, comedian, author and golfer.

The Ellis Island Research Library updated and renamed The Bob Hope Memorial Library, contains books, periodicals, contemporary and historical photographs, film and video productions, unpublished manuscripts, archival collections, oral history interviews and other research materials relating to the history of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, immigration history and the National Park Service.

Some unique collections include photos of individual immigrants taken by Augustus Sherman and Colonel John Weber, both employees of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; the ... More on the Bob Hope Memorial Library at Ellis Island

Photo Credit: Bob Hope - Wikipedia

SPORTS: Yogi Berra - The son of Ellis Island immigrants, this beloved baseball legend has won more World Series than any player in history.

More on Yogi's contribution to the world of sports: Yogi Berra

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Public Domain

MEDICINE/SCIENCE: Anthony Fauci - This grandson of Ellis Island immigrants Stephen A. Fauci, a pharmacist, and Eugenia A. Fauci, a homemaker, is a pioneering AIDS researcher and scientific leader, serving as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Health.

More on the important contributions of this son of an Ellis Island Immigrant: Dr. Anthony Fauci

Photo Credit: Dr. Anthony Fauci

PERFORMING ARTS: Cicely Tyson - This star of stage, screen and film, is acclaimed for her portrayal of strong female characters in the Oscar-nominated role in the film Sounder and the television movies The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots. Ms. Tyson's father from the Caribbean, arrived in New York City at the age of 21 and was processed at Ellis Island on August 4, 1919.

More on the career of Cicely Tyson: Cicely Tyson

Photo Credit: The Heart Truth

GOVERNMENT SERVICE: Abie Abraham - This exemplar of the "greatest" fought with distinction in world war II enduring "the" Bataan death march and years of brutal treatment. A grandson of an Ellis Island, immigrant, he was profiled in the book Ghost Soldiers. (See below)>/p>

This book profiles Abie Abraham and is one of those books that grabs you from the first sentence and does not let go until the final page has been turned.

THE ARTS: Martin Scorsese - Legendary American filmmaker, writer and producer, and recipient of innumerable awards including lifetime achievement awards from the Venice Film Festival, the American Film Institute and the Director's Guild of America. He is the grandson of Ellis Island immigrants.

Read More: Martin Scorsese

Photo Credit and Photo in Photo Gallery Above By: David Shankbone Creative Commons 2.5 License.

SPORTS: Paul Tagliabue - Tagliabue's grandparents came through Ellis Island. After serving as a lawyer for the NFL, Tagliabue was selected as Commissioner of the NFL in 1989. During his 15 years as Commissioner he made significant contributions to international sport.

Read More: Paul Tagliabue

Photo Credit: Wikimedia creative commons Public Domain

SPORTS: Knute Rockne March 4, 1888 - March 31, 1931 Knute was an American football player and coach, both at the University of Notre Dame. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history. Notre Dame's beloved football coach arrived on Ellis Island as a five year old with his mother and sisters.

Read More: Knute Rockne

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Public Domain

BUSINESS: Robert Rubin - Grandson of an Ellis Island immigrant, Robert Rubin was the former U.S. Treasury Secretary, former Co-Chairman of Goldman Sachs and currently Director and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Citigroup.

Read More: Robert Rubin

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Public Domain

MEDICINE: Dr. Harold Varmus - Grandson of Ellis Island immigrants, Dr. Varmus was President and Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He was also Director of the National Institute of Health and co-recipient of a 1989 Nobel Prize for studies of the genetic basis of cancer.

Read More: Dr. Harold Varmus

Photo Credit Wikimedia Commons Public Domain

The Peopling of America Award

Sponsored by B.C. Forbes

The Peopling of America Awards, introduced in 2004, honors the lives of immigrants to the United States who do not trace their roots to Ellis Island, but rather arrived at another time and/or through another port of entry.

First Recipient (Pictured above)

ARCHITECTURE: Dr. I. M. Pei - The first recipient of this award, Dr. Pei, pictured above, was born in China in 1917. He came to the U.S. in 1935 to study architecture at MIT and Harvard.

Dr. Pei holds the Honorary Doctor of Letters of the University of Hong Kong (1990) is a Pulitzer Prize winner and internationally renowned architect whose important works include:

~ Louvre Pyramid in Paris

~ JFK Presidential Library and Museum in Boston

~ The Bank of China

The Peopling of America Award was America's way of honoring Dr. Pei for designing over sixty projects in the United States and abroad.

Read More: Dr. I.M. Pei

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Ellis Island Family Heritage Award

GOVERNMENT SERVICE: General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret) - USA (Ret) - I had the privilege of hearing General Powell as a motivational speaker about 15 years ago. I will always remember his deep, deep voice and smiling eyes.

General Powell served as national security advisor 1987 - 1989, was promoted to the rank of four-star general April 14/89, named chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1989 - 1993. Colin Powell was the First African American appointed as the U.S. Secretary of State, and the first, and so far the only, to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell has collected too many awards to mention here but may be found in his Wikipedia file. His mother entered America through Ellis Island.

Read more about this interesting man: Gen. Colin Powell

Photo Credit: Wikipedia - Public Domain

BUSINESS: Robert Mondavi - Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Robert Mondavi Winery. Over the years, starting in 1969 with the first annual Summer Music Festival held in aid of the Napa Valley Symphony, he has been known for his generous spirit of giving. He has been instrumental in California's Napa Valley developing into one of the finest winemaking regions in the world. He is the son of Ellis Island immigrants. Robert Mondavi died on May 16, 2008 at the age of 94.

Read More: Robert Mondavi

Photo Credit: Kent Hanson

SCIENCE: Murray Gell-Mann, Ph.D. - An American physicist and linguist. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in physics in 1969 for his contributions and discoveries concerning the classification of elementary particles and their interactions which he coined as "quarks" with reference to the novel "Finnegans Wake, by James Joyce ("Three quarks for Muster Mark!" book 2, episode 4). His father arrived in America through Ellis Island from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Read More: Murray Gell-Mann

Photo Credit: World Economic Forum.swiss-image.ch/Photo by Michael Wuertenberg Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 License

TECHNOLOGY: Astronaut Scott Parazynski, M.D. - Veteran of five space flights, STS-66 (1994), STS-86 (1997), STS-95 (1998), STS-100 (2001), and STS-120 (2007), Parazynski has logged over 1,019 hours (8 weeks) in space, including 47 hours of EVA, and traveled over 17 million miles. During STS-120 he performed four spacewalks to continue International Space Station assembly, considered to be the most challenging and dangerous ever performed. He became only the second NASA astronaut to perform four spacewalks during a single shuttle mission. His great-grandparents came through Ellis Island.

Read More: Scott Parazynski

Photo Credit: Wikipedia.org/wiki - NASA - Public Domain

Astronauts Scott Parazynski and Douglas Wheelock (not pictured) of STS-120 conducted a 7 hour, 19-minutes spacewalk to repair (essentially sew) a damaged solar panel which helps supply power to the International Space Station assembly.

This makes me dizzy .. just looking at the picture!

Photo Credit: Wikipedia.org/wiki - NASA - Public Domain

The title of the book is taken from a line of a poem by Arthur Sze: "The world of the quark has everything to do with a jaguar circling in the night." This is a very scientific book dealing with discovery of the classification of elementary particles and their interactions which Murray Gell-Mann coined as "quarks."

ARTS: Christo and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon -The 2005 award honors these two, whose achievements are forever intertwined. What an interesting couple. They were born the same day, June 13, 1935 but many miles away from each other. They came to America in 1963, he originally from Bulgaria, she from France.

Imagine wrapping a bridge .. their work is impressive because of the size. They had often stated that the purpose of their art was simply to create joy and beauty and for visual impact. None of their artwork exists because it was easily destroyed by the elements but their drawings and collages do exist.

Jean-Claude died November 18, 1935

Photo Credits: Wikipedia Commons - Public Domain

Ellis Island Family Heritage Award

GOVERNMENT SERVICE: Dr. Madeleine K. Albright - Born in Czechoslovakia, she and her family came to the United States in November 1948. She is fluent in English, French, Russian, and Czech; she speaks and reads Polish and Serbo-Croatian.

Albright became the first woman Secretary of State and the highest-ranking woman in the history of the United States government. She served as a member of the President's Cabinet and National Security Council for eight years and was the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1993-1997.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia - Public Domain

BUSINESS: Rochelle (Shelly) Lazarus - Fortune 500 - ranked her as one of 50 most powerful women in American business.

Just a few of her accomplishments are:

~ Chairman and CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Ad Agency Worldwide

~ A highly sought after lecturer

~ On the board of General Electric, Merck & Co.

~ On the board of New York Presbyterian Hospital, the American Museum of Natural History and the World Wildlife Fund.

~ On the board of Overseers for Columbia Business School.

She is the granddaughter of Ellis Island immigrants.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide

SPORTS: Tommy Lasorda - Baseball's most popular ambassador, Tommy Lasorda, signed with the Philadelphia Philles as an undrafted free agent in 1945 and began his professional career with the Concord Weavers in 1945. He entered the major leagues as a left-handed pitcher with the beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. His extraordinary 20-year career managing the Los Angeles Dodgers was capped by his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Following that he led to U.S. Olympic Baseball Team to the Gold Medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Lasorda's father came to America through Ellis Island.

There is so much more to be said about Lasorda. You will enjoy reading more about Tommy Lasorda at: Wikipedia

Photo Credit: Wikipedia - Public Domain

THE ARTS: Frank McCourt - It is interesting to find that Frank McCourt was born an American citizen on 19 August 1930 to Irish immigrant parents. During the Great Depreciation, the family moved back to Ireland where Frank, 11 years old, almost died of typhoid fever due to the unsanitary squalor of their circumstances. Frank was ejected from school at age 13 and because his father had deserted them, spent his time in odd jobs and stole food in an effort to provide for his mother and three surviving siblings.

At the age of 19, McCourt returned to New York. Finding a job, he sent money back to Ireland to help his mother and two brothers come to New York through Ellis Island.

Although McCourt had a rough start in life, he eventually gained an education and became:

~ recipient of the Pulitzer Prize (1997)

~ recipient of the National Book Critics Circle Award (1996) for his memoir Angela's Ashes (1996), detailing his impoverished childhood in Limerick.

~ recipient of the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the Abby Award

~ author of 'Tis (1999), which continues the narrative of his life, picking up from the end of the previous book and focusing on life as a new immigrant in America.

~ author of Teacher Man (2005) detailing the challenges of being a young, uncertain teacher.

~ author of Angela and the Baby Jesus (2007)

On July 19, 2009, he died from cancer.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia.org by David Shankbone This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

The perfect game for baseball fans! Not being licensed by any professional baseball league, the teams and player names are fictional. Game modes include single game exhibitions and a 30 game season mode. A pre-game difficulty switch makes the game biased either towards the pitcher, batter, or an equal game of skill between pitcher and batter.

I have read this book and I must tell you. it is one of the best books I have ever read. It really grabs your mind and doesn't let go until the very end.

I wonder what happened?

There was no record of The Peopling of America Award being given to anyone in 2006.

Ellis Island Family Heritage Award

SPORTS: Mike Krzyzewski - This "Hall of Famer," was United States National Basketball Head Coach for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is known to his fans as, "Coach K" of the three-time National Champion Duke University Blue Devils. The "winningest" coach in NCAA, he amassed a record 79 NCAA tournament victories, while averaging 25 wins per season. Coach K is a man who sets the bar high as a humanitarian of sport and an ambassador of education. Duke basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski, was honored at the second annual Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Awards Banquet in Oklahoma City April 16/12 as the recipient of the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award. His players regard him as a father figure, and his coaching staff and close friends consider him the ideal mentor.

Coach K's Polish grandfather arrived in America by way of Ellis Island in 1906.

For more on Coach Mike Krzyzewski: Mike Krzyzewski's Official Website

Photo Credit: Wikipedia - A work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.

BUSINESS: John J. Mack - Mr. Mack was elected Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Stanley in June 2005, having spent nearly 30 years at the firm in various positions. He earned the nickname "Mack the Knife" for his cost-cutting prowess while managing the fixed income division at Morgan Stanley, and he lived up to his billing at CSFB, where he cut 10,000 jobs and returned the bank to profitability. Previously, he served as Chairman of Pequot Capital Management, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Group and Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse First Boston. He is a graduate of Duke University, where he is a member of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Mack is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and serves as a Trustee of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Mack, 67, stepped down as chairman of Morgan Stanley at the end of 2011, two years after leaving the CEO role he held at the Wall Street securities firm from 2005 until the end of 2009. He has focused his public efforts since leaving Morgan Stanley on advising financial firms. May of 2012, private-equity fund KKR & Co. named Mack a senior adviser for financial- services investments. In November, payment-services firm Rev Worldwide said Mack became an investor and board member. Mack is also a member of the international advisory council at China Investment Corp., according to its website.

Something else I thought was interesting about Mack: Mack was portrayed in the HBO film "Too Big to Fail" by Tony Shalhoub and in the BBC film "The Last Days of Lehman BrothersFor more on John J. Mack: Wikipedia

Photo Credit: Daniel Acker/ Bloomsberg News

PUBLIC SERVICE: William D. Novelli -Mr. Novelli is a recognized leader in the international practice of social marketing.

Accomplishments of W. D. Novelli:

~ Author of "50+: Igniting a Revolution to Reinvent America."

~ Co-Founder of Porter Novelli, one of the world's largest marketing/public relations agencies.

~ President of Porter Novelli, until 1990 when he left to pursue a second career in public service.

~ Former CEO of AARP (American Association of Retired People), a non-profit organization that advocates for individuals 50+ years.

~ Professor of McDonough School of Business faculty, Georgetown, developing courses and programs in nonprofit management, social responsibility, and social marketing for its students.

~ President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (remains chairman of the board).

~ Served as Executive Vice-President of CARE (the world's largest private relief and development organization)

Mr. Novelli's grandfather arrived at Ellis Island from Italy in 1897.

More on William (Bill) Novelli: Wikipedia

Photo Courtesy of : Ellis Island Museum

Because of Novelli's AARP position, his notoriety and because I am age 50+ I am very interested in this book. I have read Ken Dychtwald and Joe Flower's, Age Wave: How the Most Important Trend of Our Time Can Change Your Future and Marc Freedman's Prime Time: How Baby Boomers Will Revolutionize Retirement and Transform America and found them interesting. I believe that Mr. Novelli will have a better grasp of the aging process because of his extensive work with AARP and his great interest in the aged and aging population and how they fair in the future.

BUSINESS: Josie Natori (nee Josefina Almeda Cruz) - migrated from the Philippines to the United States in 1964.

These are a few of her accomplishments:

~ Graduated from college

~ Became the first female Vice-President of Investment Banking at Merrill Lynch

~ Became founder, CEO and fashion designer of the Natori Company (women's fashion and beauty products, furnishings and household goods.)

Besides The Peopling of America Award, Natori has won other prestigious awards:

~ 1992 Delegate to the Clinton Economic Summit Conference in Little Rock

~ 1993 Commissioner to the White House Conference on Small Business

~ 1998 Galleon Award

~ 1998 New York City Partnership's Business Woman of the Year

~ 2008 BPInoy Award of the Philippine Islands.

~ Member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America

~ Member of Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines

Read more: Josie Natori

Photo Courtesy of : Ellis Island Museum

Artists transform historic Ellis Island ferry into bohemian hotel.

The boat had many names before finally being christened the Yankee in 1948, but it's starring role came in 1921.

Read more: Artists transform historic Ellis Island Ferry

Ellis Island Heritage Family Awards - April 17, 2008

Founding Chairman of The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation, Lee A. lacocca, presented the Ellis Island Family Heritage Award to the following three individuals and a renowned family for their contributions to the American heritage. Hosting this ceremony was Lynn Sherr of ABC News.

In presenting the awards,Lee A. Iacocca said, "Each and every one of these honorees - these sons and daughters of Ellis Island - represents what I admire most about Americans: the drive to succeed, even in the face of adversity, the leadership and creativity to forge their way."

LITERATURE: Mary Higgins Clark - The Bronx-born bestselling suspense writer has sold over 85 million books in the U.S. alone and credits her Irish heritage for her storytelling talent. Mrs. Higgins Clark's newest novel is "The Lost Years". Her father came from Ireland in 1906.

Read More:Mary Higgins Clark

Photo Credit: Image used under Creative Commons License 2.0 from Mark Collins

BUSINESS: The Forbes Family - Scottish immigrant,B.C. Forbes, arrived in America in 1904. Founded by B.C. Forbes in 1917, "Forbes," is a major US business magazine that continues today. It has a worldwide circulation of five million readers and is published bi-weekly in eight foreign languages.

They also publish ForbesWoman and ForbesLife and own Forbes Web properties include sites such as Forbes.com, Investopedia.com, and RealClearPolitics.com.

The family accepted the award in honor of their father.

Read more about the: Forbes Dynasty

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Public Domain

EDUCATION: Donna E. Shalala - Daughter of Lebanese immigrant parent, Donna Shalala has a long list of accomplishments:

~ 1962 - 64 served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Iran

~ 1972 began her teaching career in political science.

~ 1988 - 1993 Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison

~ 1993 - 2001 Secretary of Health and Human Services

~ 2001 became President of the University of Miami

~ 2008 Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (USA highest civilian honor)

Besides all of the above Ms. Shalala participated in quite a number of civilian boards.

Read more on this amazing person: Wikipedia

Photo Credit: Knight Foundation

Mel Brooks was awarded his first Grammy for Best Spoken Comedy Album in 1999 for his recording of The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000 with Carl Reiner.

I hope that you enjoy this!

I wonder what happened?

ENTERTAINMENT: Mel Brooks - Mel Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York a son of emigrant parents. He had an exciting life as a director, producer, writer and actor, Mel Brooks has created many comedy film classics as well as the popular television show "Get Smart." His latest project is "The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein" currently playing on Broadway.

This hard working man has had such a busy career that I am not able to capture it here but Wikipedia does a very good job of it. I hereby turn you over to Wikipedia on Mel Brooks.Mel Brooks

Photo Credit: Angela George

Ellis Island Heritage Family Awards

On May 19, 2009 in the historic Great Hall on Ellis Island five esteemed individuals were honored by The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. for their contributions to the American Dream.

SPORTS: Joe Namath - Namath's Hungarian-born grandfather, known as A.J. to his family and friends, immigrated to the U.S. and worked in the coal and steel industries of the Pittsburg Metro Area. His mother, Rose Juhasz, born in America, was also the daughter of Hungarian immigrants. Joe loved baseball, basketball and football and excelled in all three. Football finally won out because his mother wanted him to get a college education and he could get a full scholarship at the University of Alabama if he played football. Ironically Joe didn't graduate from college until 2006 when he completed an online program.

Read More about: Joe Namath

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Public Domain

SCIENCE/MEDICINE: Dr. Eric R. Kandel - Dr.Eric R. Kandel came to America from Vienna, Austria as a child in 1939. He was awarded the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries concerning signal transduction in the nervous system.

Other accomplishments:

~ 1974 - Founding director of the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior at Columbia University

~ Educator of Principles of Neural Science

~ Author of In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind (written for the public).

~ Won the Los Angeles Times and U.S. National Academy of Science Awards for best book in science and technology.

~ Won eighteen honorary degrees

~ Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences

~ Member of National Science Academies of Austria, France, Germany, and Greece.

~ Won the Albert Lasker Award, Heineken Award of the Netherlands

~ Won the Gairdner Award of Canada

~ Won the Harvey Prize and Wolf Prize of Israel

~ Won the National Medal of Science, U.S.A.

Read More about: Dr. Eric. R. Kandel

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Public Domain

ENTERTAINMENT: Jerry Seinfeld - Jerry Seinfeld's maternal grandparents emigrated from Syria. He was born in Brooklyn and has had great success as a comedian. (My favorite.) The Tonight Show launched his career and then in 1989 he and Larry David created and starred in the hilarious TV series Seinfeld which ran for nine seasons on NBC and is still shown in syndication. Mr. Seinfeld became executive producer of the real life comedy, The Marriage Ref, for NBC.

Read more on: Jerry Seinfeld and What's so funny about April?

Photo Credit: Alan Light

Recipients

ENTERTAINMENT:Gloria Estafan and Emilio Estafan:

Here is just a very little bit of what Gloria and Emilio Estafan have accomplished in their careers.

ENTERTAINMENT: EMILIO ESTEFAN JR. - Cuba-born Emilio Estefan emigrated to the U.S.A. through Ellis Island. He became a member of the Miami Sound Machine but is also a producer of many famous singers. He is well know for the part he had in assembling Latino entertainers to record Michael Jackson's We Are The World in Spanish that became "Somos El Mundo" and premiered March 1, 2010 during the El Show de Cristina. All the funds went to the Haiti relief.

Accomplishments:

~ 2000 - Award for Producer of the Year

~ Is Second Vice Chair to the Commission - National Museum of the American Latino.

ENTERTAINMENT: Gloria Estefan - Besides the Gloria Estefan Foundation dedicated to childhood illnesses, paralysis research and animals, Ms. Estefan is involved in and has accomplished so much that her record is very extensive. I am asking that you read it on the Wikipedia website that is supplied for you here.

More about: Gloria and Emilio Estefan

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Public Domain

A tribute to their native Cuba.

Emilio wrote and produced Gloria's latest chart topping album 90 Millas,

The Estefans have supported many charities.

Ellis Island Heritage Family Awards

ENTERTAINMENT: Bruce Springsteen - He has been recording for more than thirty years and has released 24 albums. He has won 19 Grammy Awards, an Oscar, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is a 2009 recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors. His grandfather, Antonio Zerilli immigrated from Italy in 1900.

Read more about: Bruce Springsteen

Photo Credit: manu-gt500

BUSINESS: Peter G. Peterson

Some of his accomplishments:

~ founder and chair of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. (To increase public awareness of the nature and urgency of key fiscal challenges threatening America's future and to accelerate action on them).

~ Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the private equity of The Blackstone Group.

~Chairman Emeritus of the Counsel on foreign Relations

~ Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, ,

~ is Chairman Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations

~ 1972 - Secretary of Commerce by President Nixon

His parents emigrated from Greece, arriving at Ellis Island in 1912 and 1920.

Read More: Peter G. Peterson

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Public Domain

Two Recipients

BUSINESS: Andrea Jung - The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Jung is ranked by Forbes as the 25th Most Powerful Woman in America.

Accomplishments:

~ Was Sr. Vice-President, Gen. Merchandising Mgr. of I. Magnin

~ Former Executive Vice President of Neiman Marcus

~ Joined AVON - 1994

~ AVON - 1994 - President of Product Marketing Group.

- 1996 - Vice-President/President of Global Marketing

- 1997 - Vice-President/President of New Business

- 1997 - President and Chief Operating Officer - worldwide

- 1998 - Board member

- 1999-2011 - Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

- 2012 - Executive chairman

General Electric - Board of Directors since 1998

Apple's Board of Directors - January 7, 2008

2001 - Ladies Home Journal ranked her as the 30th Most Powerful Women in America

2004 - Forbes ranked her the 100th Most Powerful Women in America

2009 - Forbes ranked her the 25th Most Powerful Woman in America

For more on: Andre Jung

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Public Domain

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SPORTS: Dikembe Mutombo - Nicknamed as "Mt. Mutombo," his combination of height 7'ft x 2 in. , power and long arms have led to a record tying four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, a feat equaled only by Ben Wallace.

Accomplishments:

18 years with NBA

~ four-time Defense Player of the Year

~ eight-time NBA All-Star

~ Second most prolific shot blocker in NBA history.

Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mutombo came to the U.S.A. in 1987. He became a citizen in March 2006.

He has dedicated himself to improving health, education and the quality of life in his native Congo and across Africa.

More about: Dikambe Mutombo

Photo Credit: Keith Allison

Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards

Because I used to love to play ball (softball) I am really interested in ballplayer's lives.

SPORTS: Joe Torre - Son is the of Margaret Rofrano emigrant from Salerno, Italy through Ellis Island in 1911.. Joe is an American former professional baseball player and manager.

Here are a few of his many accomplishments:

~ endeded his third and final season as manager of the LA Dodgers in 2010. Led them to the National League Championship Series in 2008 + 2009.

~ managed the New York Yankees for 12 seasons, leading them to World Series Championships in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

~ named MLB's Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations.

~ spent 32 years at the helm of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals

~ won six league championships

~ won three World Series titles

~ 1991 - founded ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation)

~ In 1997, Torre's autobiography, Chasing the Dream, was released.

~ authored an advice book, titled Joe Torre's Ground Rules for Winners.

~ The Yankee Years released in February 2009, details his tenure as manager of the New York Yankees.

~ Torre and his wife Ali created the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation that operates approximately a dozen domestic violence resource centers called Margaret's Place.

~ 2007, Torre was the first recipient of the Chuck Tanner Major League Baseball manager of the Year Award.In September 2009,

~ Sporting News named Joe Sporting News Manager of the Decade

~ 2009, Sports Illustrated named Torre as the Best Manager of the Decade.S

~ Sports Illustrated also selected Torre as #3 on its list of the "Top 10 Coaches/Managers of the Decade" in in U.S. professional and college sports.

If Torre remains retired from managing, he will become eligible for induction to the Hall of Fame as a manager in 2014.

Read More: Joe Torre

Photo Credit: Joe Torre By: John Mena

GOVERNMENT SERVICE: Sen. George J. Mitchell - A native of Waterville, Maine, he was appointed its U.S. Senator in 1980, and held the post of Senate Majority Leader from 1989 until his retirement in 1995. That same year, he served as President's Clinton's special representative to Northern Ireland, overseeing peace negotiations which ended decades of conflict. In 2009, President Obama appointed him Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. His integrity and reputation for impartiality has led to his being asked to oversee committees assuring the accountability of many high-profile organizations including the Olympic Games, the American Red Cross Liberty Disaster Relief Fund and Major League Baseball. His mother Mintaha Saad arrived from Lebanon in 1920 through Ellis Island.

Read More: Sen. George J. Mitchell

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Public Domain

Recipient

SPORTS: Martina Navratilova (Pictured above) - Martina defected from Czechoslovakia in 1975 at the U.S. Open. In 1978, she became the world's best player and dominated tennis for years. She is the author of books on fitness.

Accomplishments:

~ Sports Illustrated named her one of the "Top 40 Athletes of all-time."

~ 1981 she became a U.S. citizen.

~ In-demand tennis commentator.

More about: Martina Navratilova

Photo Credit: Wikipedia By: Angela George

Lee A. lacocca

As Founding Chairman of The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, he spearheaded the historic restoration of these national treasures. He spent over 40 years in the automotive industry, most notably as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Chrysler Corporation. At Chrysler he introduced the successful "Minivan" platform and became one of the most famous business men of the era after rescuing the company from bankruptcy in 1979. During his previous tenure at Ford, he was credited with the creation of the Mustang. In 1984, he founded The Iacocca Foundation, dedicated to educational projects and diabetes research. One of the most famous business people in the world, Iacocca was a passionate advocate of U.S. business exports during the 1980s. He is the author (or co-author) of several books, including bestselling Iacocca: An Autobiography (with William Novak), and Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

Portfolio named Iacocca the 18th-greatest American CEO of all time

His father Nicola came through Ellis Island from San Marco in 1910, and again in 1921 as a citizen bringing his Italian bride, Antoinetta.

Read more about: Lee lacocca

I hope that you have enjoyed this review of Ellis Island Family Heritage and The Peopling of America Award Winners.

I find it interesting to research genealogies and read the stories of others' lives. Please let me know if your family has an immigrant background.