Thankful for Immigrants

“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.”

— Oprah Winfrey

With just celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday, I wanted to express how thankful I am for immigrants in the United States. Without immigrants, we would not have the diverse, beautiful society that we have today. We’re called a melting pot for a reason and I am glad that I can help in this process.

Here are just a few examples of the amazing contributions our immigrants have made to our society and the world.

1. Levi Strauss – Born in Germany, Levi Strauss immigrated to the United States in 1846. He helped patent using metal rivets to prevent pocket openings from ripping and started his own factory to make denim jeans. He also helped establish the first synagogue in San Francisco.

2. Albert Einstein – Born in Germany, Albert Einstein became a U.S. citizen in 1940. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for explaining how light creates electricity. He also developed the theories of special relativity and general relativity.

3. Elizabeth Stern – Born in Canada, Elizabeth Stern became a U.S. citizen in 1943. She is believed to have published the first case study linking a specific virus to a specific type of cancer.

4. Luther George Simjian – An Armenian who had been living in Turkey, immigrated to the U.S. at age 15. He earned more than 200 patents but is best known for his invention of the Bankograph, the first ATM.

From inventions to discoveries and new theories, these immigrants have helped make our country and the world a better place.