Each year, USA identifies and rewards naturalized immigrants who embody superior achievements with the “Pride of America Award” and refer to them as “Great Immigrants of America.” The recognition that began in 2006 and funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York aims at valuing the immigrant’s roles in enhancing America’s sociopolitical, economical, cultural, and scientific developments. If you’re an awardee or simply planning to visit family back home, secure cheap tickets to India from USA through Tripbeam for a stress free journey.
Included in Carnegie’s 2024 roster of Great Immigrants of America from 16 nations are four individuals originally from India who are now American citizens: Nobel Prize winner Abhijit Banerjee, Dr Ashish Kumar Jha, social entrepreneur Premal Shah, and interfaith activist Eboo Patel. These distinguished individuals will join the esteemed ranks of outstanding immigrants in the United States immediately following the commemoration of Independence Day on July 4th.
Dr. Ashish Kumar Jha
Dr. Ashish Kumar Jha hails from Bihar in India and another deserving winner of the Pride of America Award as an outstanding immigrant who has contributed immensely to enhancing the United States’ ability to manage the COVID-19 outbreak and prepare for future pandemics. For a long time, Dr Jha has been serving as the Dean of School of Public Health at Brown University and due to his expertise, he is among the most sought after policy advisor across the world during crises like the Ebola epidemic. He has education-wise an MD and a master in public health, and upon more, he is a proud member of the Harvard University terrain.
In the middle of the severe pandemic period in America, President Biden named Dr. Jha to serve as the coordinator of the White House on pandemic response. As the epidemic progressed to pandemic proportions, he was responsible for developing therapies, boosting immunization availability, and improving testing and patient monitoring.
Nobel Laureate Dr. Abhijit Banerjee
Dr. Abhijit Banerjee is an excellent economist and Nobel laureate. His inclusion on Carnegie’s 2024 list of Great Immigrants makes him unique. His pioneering research and strategies to combat global poverty have significantly elevated America’s standing on the world stage. Apart from his position as the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at MIT, Dr. Banerjee also contributes to Save the Children USA as a board member among the distinguished Great Immigrants of America in 2024.
Premal Shah, a Champion of Change
Premal Shah, the social entrepeneur from California will be awarded as one of America’s Great Immigrants on July 4, 2024. Originally from Ahmedabad, brought up in Minnesota, Premal has empowered small scale cross-sectional traders and artisans in the developing world; including in India, by providing crowd sourced loans through Kiva, a poverty alleviation NGO. He has been awarded the ‘Champion of Change’ by The White House during the presidency of Barack Obama.
Inspired by the microfinance concept, Premal Shah, being a product manager at PayPal, went on leave in 2004 to visit India. In the discussions then he was able to devise an example of how he saw the microlending through P2P to boost the income of those in rural areas. A Stanford University alum, he also received a grant from the London School of Economics to research microfinance-based enterprises run by self-employed women worldwide.
Interfaith Leader Eboo Patel
Eboo Patel, hailing from Illinois, is among the four Indian Americans honoured as Great Immigrants of the US in 2024. Born in Mumbai, he is the founder and president of Interfaith America, a nonprofit based in Chicago dedicated to fostering cooperation among religions globally through partnerships with public and private entities. Advocating passionately for interfaith harmony, he views religious diversity as integral to American democracy.
Similar to Kala Bagai, Eboo Patel faced discrimination as a young immigrant in the US due to his brown skin, Indian heritage, and Islamic faith. These experiences shaped him into an influential interfaith activist and author of five books, including his autobiography, ‘Acts of Faith’. As a Rhodes scholar, he earned a PhD in sociology of religion from Oxford University and served on President Obama’s Inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-based Partnerships. For those inspired by Eboo Patel’s journey and looking to explore their roots or visit family, finding cheapest business class flights to India from USA can make the trip more affordable.
Also Read: Journey Through India: Must-See Places For American Tourists
