The Carnegie Corporation of New York recently announced its annual list of Great Immigrants, celebrating naturalized citizens whose contributions enrich American society and democracy. Among this year’s honorees are prominent Indian Americans, including Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee, renowned for his work in economics at MIT, and Ashish Kumar Jha, a global public health leader and White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator. Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith America, promotes religious cooperation, while Premal Shah, co-founder of Kiva, facilitates microfinance globally. Raj Panjabi, originally from Liberia, is recognized for his global health advocacy and leadership roles in pandemic preparedness and biodefense strategies.
Abhijit Banerjee, born in Mumbai, co-founded the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab and received the Nobel Prize in Economics for his pioneering research in poverty alleviation. Ashish Kumar Jha, hailing from Pursaulia, Bihar, is renowned for his expertise in pandemic response and health policy, serving as a trusted advisor to policymakers globally and currently leading the U.S. COVID-19 response efforts.
Eboo Patel, a Mumbai native of Gujarati Indian heritage, founded Interfaith America to foster cooperation across religious lines, emphasizing the role of diversity in strengthening American democracy. Premal Shah, born in India and raised in Minnesota, co-founded Kiva, a nonprofit that has facilitated over $2 billion in loans to entrepreneurs worldwide, primarily women.
Raj Panjabi fled civil war in Liberia as a child, later co-founding Last Mile Health and serving in senior health security roles at the White House. His advocacy and leadership in global health earned him recognition as one of Time magazine’s most influential people and Fortune magazine’s top global leaders.
These individuals embody the spirit of Andrew Carnegie’s legacy as an immigrant and philanthropist, celebrating the diverse talents and contributions that enrich American society. Their achievements underscore the profound impact immigrants continue to make across fields from economics and public health to social entrepreneurship and global health security.
