At the Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame, Connecticut honors exceptional individuals from throughout our state who exemplify our proud common heritage as a nation of immigrants.  It has never been more essential that we remember the inescapable reality that it is immigrants who make Connecticut – and our entire country – what they are today.

Driven by big dreams, tempered with strong work ethic and the resilience to overcome hardship, immigrants from every part of the world call this state home. This is as true today as it has been for generations. Immigrants have been integral to the state’s economic success, founding new businesses and developing world-changing inventions that have brought prosperity to native-born and immigrant alike.

Examples abound. The helicopter was invented by Connecticut’s Igor Sikorsky, who immigrated from Kiev, Ukraine – and for whom Sikorsky Aircraft is named.  Electric Boat, today the economic engine of Eastern Connecticut, was founded by immigrant Isaac Rice.  Holocaust survivor Joseph Gerber founded Gerber Scientific in Connecticut and revolutionized global manufacturing.

The hard work of immigrants is often hidden in plain sight – in the food we eat, the groceries we buy, the places we work.  Stop & Shop was founded by an immigrant family in New England, as were Big Y, Cumberland Farms, Sam’s Food Stores, and TJ Maxx.  Immigrants like Frank Pepe made New Haven the pizza capital of the world, and immigrant restaurateurs like Lobster Landing’s Enea Bacci and Mill On The River’s Helmar Wolf continue to shape our culinary culture today.  Carlos Mouta’s Parkville Market is a melting pot of cuisines brought to Connecticut from every part of the world.

The very face of our state was shaped by immigrants.  Hartford’s iconic Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch was designed by immigrant architect George Keller.  Another Irish immigrant, Kevin Roche, designed New Haven’s Knights of Columbus Building and Danbury’s Corporate Center – among many other famous works across the U.S.  Holocaust survivor David Chase revitalized Connecticut’s cities through the construction of Hartford’s Gold Building and Stilts Building, and New Haven’s Connecticut Financial Center.  The construction firms Gilbane, Manafort Brothers, and Tomasso Group, responsible for many of the largest projects in our state, were all established by immigrant tradesmen.

The next generation of thinkers and innovators are being educated at the University of Connecticut – led by an Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame inductee, President Radenka Maric.  Yale’s School of Nursing is led by Persian immigrant Dean Azita Emami, and Yale’s School of Management is led by Guyanese immigrant Dean Kerwin Kofi Charles.  The chancellor of the CT State Colleges & Universities system, John Maduko, is the son of Igbo-Nigerian immigrants.

Immigrants continue to help our farmers raise crops, pick tobacco, and run Connecticut dairies.  It is hard and oftentimes dangerous work.  Yet, without the grit and determination of immigrants seeking a better life, there could well be no food on our tables.  This has been the case for each new generation: our state saw waves of Jewish, Swiss Apostolic, Italian, and Portuguese farmers over the course of just the 20th century alone.

Yet, every generation of immigrants has faced similar hostility from groups of Americans who mistakenly feared their differences.  Most who fear and reject immigrants today are descendants of immigrants who were similarly demonized.  The first Catholic immigrants were seen by many New Englanders as an existential threat.  It is now hard to imagine New England without their contributions.

At a time when newcomers face similar hostility, it is important that we remind ourselves, and others in our communities, of the contributions continually made by those who have come to this country and our state with an unyielding determination to build a new life for themselves and their families – and in pursuing that objective, contribute mightily to making America a better place.

Connecticut’s state motto, “Qui Transtulit Sustinet,” translates from Latin as “He who is transplanted, still sustains.”  Immigrants “transplanted” from elsewhere have indeed sustained  and thrived, and in doing so have strengthened the fabric of our state and nation.

Inspiring stories of immigrant achievement are celebrated at the Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame’s annual induction ceremony. 

On September 25, we add four exemplary Connecticut immigrants to an impressive roster of inductees who have not only overcome obstacles to attain personal success, but who give back to the broader immigrant community and all who live here:

• Ali Antar: emeritus professor of physics, founder and co-president of the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford, co-founder of the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut, interfaith leader, and a founding member of We Refuse to Be Enemies in coalition with Muslims, Jews, and Christians.
• Dana Bucin: one of the most respected immigration attorneys in Connecticut, representing immigrants and refugees, including Afghan nationals applying for humanitarian status, and Ukrainian refugees following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
• Demetrios Giannaros: economist, educator, and elected official, he served for 16 years in the Connecticut legislature, was Deputy Majority Leader and the first foreign-born individual to serve as Deputy Speaker.  Giannaros has served in numerous immigrant community nonprofit organizations, including the Connecticut Immigrant & Refugee Coalition.
• Homa Naficy: founder of Hartford Public Library’s American Place, nationally-recognized for its work helping immigrants learn English, study for the citizenship exam, and succeed in their new homeland. Naficy was appointed by President Obama to serve on the National Museum and Library Services Board and served until 2023.

When residents from across Connecticut gather to honor these accomplished individuals, express our gratitude for their enduring contributions, and reflect on the remarkable history of immigrants in our state, past and present, it will be an appreciation well-earned and well deserved.  Evident as well will be the earnest hope that our shared pride will resonate not only here but well beyond Connecticut.

Asha Lassen is the president of the National Immigrant Heritage Center, the organizer of the annual Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame event.  She serves as vice president of the Polish-American Foundation of Connecticut, and as vice president and chaplain of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 102 in Manchester.  More information about the Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame Induction & Gala on September 25 is here.