Ajay Banga, the President of the World Bank, has been acknowledged on the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s annual “Great Immigrants” list for his significant contributions in enriching America and its democracy.
Banga, who assumed the role of World Bank chief in June 2023, holds the distinction of being the first-ever Indian American to lead the institution. Among this year’s honorees on the list of ‘Great Immigrants’ by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, he is the sole representative from India.
With an impressive background of more than 30 years in influential positions, the 63-year-old Banga is expected to introduce transformative policies at the World Bank to combat poverty and address climate change, providing opportunities for people worldwide, as stated in Carnegie’s official announcement.
In a fireside chat, Banga shared insights on how diversity played a crucial role in his leadership success: “At the end of the day, if you surround yourself with people who look like you, who walk like you and talk like you, and grew up in the same places you did and worked with you in your prior jobs, then you will have a sense of comfort of hiring people around you who have that familiarity. But you will also have the same blind spots. You will miss the same trends. You will miss the same opportunities.”
The “Great Immigrants” list is a yearly tribute by the Carnegie Corporation of New York on America’s Independence Day, celebrating “remarkable” naturalized citizens who have strengthened the nation and democracy through their outstanding contributions and actions.
This year, the list honors 35 individuals from 33 countries, representing diverse backgrounds and various fields of impact. The honorees include educators, mentors, philanthropists, job creators, public servants, storytellers, and advocates, all of whom have fostered opportunities for others and enriched the country.
“The Great Immigrants initiative pays tribute to the legacy of Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant who, like these honorees, achieved success in America, contributed immensely to his adopted country, and inspired others to do the same,” said Dame Louise Richardson, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Dame Louise Richardson herself is a naturalized citizen, arriving in the United States from Ireland as a graduate student. She remarked, “The 35 naturalized citizens honored today embody that tradition, reminding us that the contributions of immigrants make our country more vibrant and our democracy more resilient.”
This year’s esteemed honorees include Vietnamese-born Academy Award-winning actor Ke Huy Quan, Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal, Director-General of the World Trade Organization Nigerian-born Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, US Congressman Ted Lieu, who was born in Taiwan, Grammy Award-winning Singer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angélique Kidjo, who was born in Benin, Polish-born Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, Cornell University, and Nobel Laureate Roald Hoffmann, and Guido Imbens, born in the Netherlands and Professor of Economics, Stanford University, and Nobel Laureate.
1 Comment
Congratulations! to Ajay Banga for his inclusion in Carnegie Mellon’s short list of “Great Immigrants,” to the United States. We are all proud of his contributions to his adopted country and of his performance excellence. On the other hand, my list is much longer of all those who immigrated to this country in pre-1965 legislation admitting only a handful of people who could find their way and lift themselves by their bootstraps. Unlike Ajay Banga, we came here for education without the benefits of having well-off parents, professional skills, and existing community support. We fought for just basic survival while going to school under a very inhospitable economic system. The minimum wage was only one dollar an hour for a back-breaking job of picking peaches, prunes, and pears in the fields of Yuba City and Marysville in California while completing the requirements for higher education at the same time. As luck has it, most of us succeeded in our professions, raised families, paid taxes, and performed community service to enrich our own lives, friends, and our welcoming country. We are the “Great Immigrants, ” and not the anointed ones.