Great Immigrant Great American: Richard Blanco

USA - English

• USA - English

NEW YORK, July 1, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Carnegie Corporation of New York released its annual list of Great Immigrants in a salute to 38 naturalized citizens who strengthen America's economy, enrich our culture and communities, and invigorate our democracy through their lives, their work, and their examples. For 2019, the honorees represent 35 countries of origin, a range of personal immigration experiences, and high-level leadership in diverse fields, all united through their shared experience of becoming Americans.

Among the honorees is Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco who tells his story of coming to America as one who was "made in Cuba, assembled in Spain, then imported to the USA." Richard Blanco's mother was only seven months pregnant when the rest of the family arrived as exiles from Cuba to Madrid where he was born on February 15th,1968. Forty-five days later, the family immigrated once more to New York City. Only a few weeks old, Blanco already belonged to three countries, a foreshadowing of the concerns of place and belonging that would shape his life and work. Eventually, the family settled in Miami, where he was raised and educated. Growing up among close-knit Cuban exiles instilled in him a strong sense of community, dignity, and identity that he'd carry into his adult life as a writer. Blanco grew up in a working class immigrant family and went on to become the fifth poet to perform at the Presidential Inauguration. In 2013, Blanco was the youngest, first Hispanic and first openly gay man to be named the Presidential Inaugural poet. Blanco is also an accomplished author with his most recent book, HOW TO LOVE A COUNTRY which is inspired by, and a result of his tenure as Presidential Inaugural Poet. It deals with the many questions haunting our country right now, including race, gender, and immigration. He is also a founding member of the Obama Legacy Committee. He's performed and influenced positive change with his poems, Freedom to Marry, Boston Strong Concert, Pulse Massacre, 75th Holocaust, and JFK 50th.

Today, Blanco is one of the Great Immigrants and part of a tribute that is an archive of accomplishment featuring nearly 600 exemplary naturalized U.S. citizens.

"As we celebrate these 38 extraordinary individuals, we are reminded of the legacy of our founder, Andrew Carnegie, who showed the country how immigrants contribute to the great, unfinished story that is America," said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York. "We are also reminded of Carnegie's observation that immigrants who become citizens are the most patriotic Americans because their citizenship is earned, not bestowed upon them. History teaches us that each new generation of immigrants strengthens the vibrant diversity of our nation and its democracy, and continuously renews the American dream." Andrew Carnegie was a staunch supporter of immigrant integration, and today the Corporation provides grant support for the work of the New Americans Campaign, a nationwide network of nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping legal permanent residents apply for citizenship under the direction of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. The honorees will be recognized with a full-page public service announcement in the New York Times on the Fourth of July. For the first two weeks of July, the Corporation will also celebrate their stories and contributions through a social media initiative on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter @CarnegieCorp using the hashtags #GreatImmigrants and #ImmigrantStories.

As part of the campaign, the Corporation will invite the public to share their own immigrant stories, whether recent or in the distant past, to connect the experiences of the honorees with the wider contributions of immigrants who have shaped the nation's trajectory.

SOURCE Richard Blanco