
































See Also
See Again
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0 / 33 Fotos
Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Schwarzenegger famously moved to the US from his native Austria in search of the American dream, and he certainly found it. Arnold Schwarzenegger became a bodybuilding icon, a Hollywood star, and an accomplished politician.
© Getty Images
1 / 33 Fotos
Natalie Portman
- The movie star was born Neta-Lee Hershlag in Jerusalem, Israel. Natalie Portman has dual citizenship from the United States and Israel, and is an accomplished actress.
© Getty Images
2 / 33 Fotos
Eddie Van Halen
- The late guitar virtuoso and co-founder of Van Halen was Dutch. Edward Lodewijk Van Halen was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and moved to the US with his family in 1962.
© Getty Images
3 / 33 Fotos
Anthony Hopkins
- Hailing from Wales, Hopkins' career in Hollywood has been astonishing. The actor became an American citizen in 2000 (he currently holds dual citizenship), and spends much of his time in Malibu, California.
© Getty Images
4 / 33 Fotos
Albert Einstein
- Albert Einstein is probably one of the most prestigious men to have ever immigrated to the US. Born in Ulm, Germany, the famous theoretical physicist did some outstanding work at Princeton University and became an American citizen in 1940.
© Getty Images
5 / 33 Fotos
Gloria Estefan
- The singer was born in Havana, Cuba. Her family moved to Miami, Florida, in 1959. Gloria Estefan became a US citizen in 1974, and went on to become one of the greatest Latin pop artists in the world.
© Getty Images
6 / 33 Fotos
Emily Blunt
- The famous British actress moved across the pond in 2008 and got her US citizenship in 2015. Blunt has dual citizenship and has lived between both countries, most notably in New York City and London.
© Getty Images
7 / 33 Fotos
Lars Ulrich
- The drummer and co-founder of Metallica was born in Denmark. Ulrich was 17 when he moved to Newport Beach, California, and the rest is history!
© Getty Images
8 / 33 Fotos
I. M. Pei
- Born in Guangzhou, China, I. M. Pei moved to America when he was 18 and became one of the most successful architects in the world. His works include the Louvre Pyramid in Paris and the JFK Library in Boston, to name a few.
© Getty Images
9 / 33 Fotos
Sofía Vergara
- The 'Modern Family' actress hails from Barranquilla, Colombia. In 2014, Vergara became a an American citizen.
© Getty Images
10 / 33 Fotos
Sergey Brin
- Originally from Moscow, Russia, the co-founder of Google changed the way the world uses the Internet. He also happens to be one of the richest individuals in the world.
© Getty Images
11 / 33 Fotos
Pierce Brosnan
- It turns out James Bond is also an American citizen. This has been the case since 2004, which was 22 years after Pierce Brosnan moved to the country from his native Ireland.
© Getty Images
12 / 33 Fotos
Camila Cabello
- The famous singer was born in Cuba to Cuban and Mexican parents. At age six, she crossed the US border with her mother. "My parents brought me to this country with nothing in their pockets but hope," said Cabello. She became an American citizen in 2008.
© Getty Images
13 / 33 Fotos
Mila Kunis
- Milena Markovna Kunis was born in 1983 in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Her family moved to LA in 1991. Shortly after, she started acting, and the rest is history.
© Getty Images
14 / 33 Fotos
Madeleine Albright
- The first woman to serve as United States Secretary of State was also an immigrant. Madeleine Albright was born in Prague, Czech Republic, and moved from Europe to America in 1948.
© Getty Images
15 / 33 Fotos
Levi Strauss
- The fashion trailblazer was born in Germany in 1829. Levi Strauss moved to America in 1847, and a few years later everyone was wearing jeans with his name on them.
© Getty Images
16 / 33 Fotos
Bruce Willis
- The 'Die Hard' star was born in Germany, where his father was stationed at an American military base. In 1957, his family moved to Carneys Point Township, New Jersey.
© Getty Images
17 / 33 Fotos
Neil Young
- The legendary singer-songwriter didn't have his papers in order when he moved from Canada to the US: he was an illegal immigrant with no work visa. Young went on to become a highly successful music artist. He still has his Canadian citizenship, but spends most of his time in the US.
© Getty Images
18 / 33 Fotos
Oscar de la Renta
- Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 1932 to a Puerto Rican father and a Dominican mother, Oscar de la Renta was one of the world's top fashion designers. He moved to the US in the 1960s, and passed away in 2014 at his home in Kent, Connecticut.
© Getty Images
19 / 33 Fotos
Nikola Tesla
- The famous inventor was born in 1856 in Smiljan, a village in modern-day Croatia, which was then part of the Austrian Empire. In June 1884, Tesla moved to New York City, and in 1891 he became a US citizen.
© Getty Images
20 / 33 Fotos
Guillermo del Toro
- The Oscar-winning filmmaker is from Guadalajara, Mexico. He moved to America in the late '90s, and spends his time between his residences in Los Angeles and Toronto.
© Getty Images
21 / 33 Fotos
Maureen O'Hara
- The famous actress was born in Ranelagh, County Dublin, Ireland. In 1946, she became the first Irish immigrant to have "Irish" designated as her nationality. Prior to that, Irish people who were granted US citizenship were designated as "English."
© Getty Images
22 / 33 Fotos
Carlos Santana
- Hailing from Autlán de Navarro, Mexico, the famous guitarist crossed the border in the early '60s and became a citizen in 1965.
© Getty Images
23 / 33 Fotos
Charlize Theron
- The actress was born in South Africa. Theron moved to the United States during her modeling career. She then moved to LA to pursue a career in Hollywood, and obviously made it! She was granted US citizenship in 2007.
© Getty Images
24 / 33 Fotos
Sammy Sosa
- The baseball star was born in Consuelo, Dominican Republic. He became an American citizen in 1995 and resides in Florida.
© Getty Images
25 / 33 Fotos
Liam Neeson
- The 'Taken' actor was born in Northern Ireland. He moved to Hollywood in the late 1980s, but did not become a US citizen until 2009. Neeson now lives in upstate New York.
© Getty Images
26 / 33 Fotos
Cesar Millan
- The "Dog Whisperer" hails from Culiacán, Mexico. He crossed the border illegally in 1990 with US$100 in his pocket and a dream. He became a United States citizen in 2009, and lives in LA.
© Getty Images
27 / 33 Fotos
Alex Trebek
- The famous 'Jeopardy!' host hailed from Sudbury, Ontario, in Canada. Alex Trebek became a naturalized US citizen in 1998.
© Getty Images
28 / 33 Fotos
Salma Hayek
- Salma Hayek is originally from Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, and went on to become a Hollywood star. She became a US citizen in 2013.
© Getty Images
29 / 33 Fotos
Arianna Huffington
- The co-founder of The Huffington Post was born in Greece and moved to the US in 1980. Arianna Huffington has been listed in both Forbes' list of Most Powerful Women, and in Time magazine's list of the world's 100 Most Influential People.
© Getty Images
30 / 33 Fotos
Andrew Carnegie
- Coming from a working class background in Scotland, Carnegie went on to become one of the richest men—and most generous philanthropists—in America.
© Getty Images
31 / 33 Fotos
Christiane Amanpour
- The famous journalist and television host moved stateside to study in college. Amanpour was born in the UK to a Persian father and British mother. She studied in Iran before moving back to England, and then the US. Sources: (Insider) (Buzzworthy) See also: How the origins of America’s immigrants have changed over the years
© Getty Images
32 / 33 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 33 Fotos
Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Schwarzenegger famously moved to the US from his native Austria in search of the American dream, and he certainly found it. Arnold Schwarzenegger became a bodybuilding icon, a Hollywood star, and an accomplished politician.
© Getty Images
1 / 33 Fotos
Natalie Portman
- The movie star was born Neta-Lee Hershlag in Jerusalem, Israel. Natalie Portman has dual citizenship from the United States and Israel, and is an accomplished actress.
© Getty Images
2 / 33 Fotos
Eddie Van Halen
- The late guitar virtuoso and co-founder of Van Halen was Dutch. Edward Lodewijk Van Halen was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and moved to the US with his family in 1962.
© Getty Images
3 / 33 Fotos
Anthony Hopkins
- Hailing from Wales, Hopkins' career in Hollywood has been astonishing. The actor became an American citizen in 2000 (he currently holds dual citizenship), and spends much of his time in Malibu, California.
© Getty Images
4 / 33 Fotos
Albert Einstein
- Albert Einstein is probably one of the most prestigious men to have ever immigrated to the US. Born in Ulm, Germany, the famous theoretical physicist did some outstanding work at Princeton University and became an American citizen in 1940.
© Getty Images
5 / 33 Fotos
Gloria Estefan
- The singer was born in Havana, Cuba. Her family moved to Miami, Florida, in 1959. Gloria Estefan became a US citizen in 1974, and went on to become one of the greatest Latin pop artists in the world.
© Getty Images
6 / 33 Fotos
Emily Blunt
- The famous British actress moved across the pond in 2008 and got her US citizenship in 2015. Blunt has dual citizenship and has lived between both countries, most notably in New York City and London.
© Getty Images
7 / 33 Fotos
Lars Ulrich
- The drummer and co-founder of Metallica was born in Denmark. Ulrich was 17 when he moved to Newport Beach, California, and the rest is history!
© Getty Images
8 / 33 Fotos
I. M. Pei
- Born in Guangzhou, China, I. M. Pei moved to America when he was 18 and became one of the most successful architects in the world. His works include the Louvre Pyramid in Paris and the JFK Library in Boston, to name a few.
© Getty Images
9 / 33 Fotos
Sofía Vergara
- The 'Modern Family' actress hails from Barranquilla, Colombia. In 2014, Vergara became a an American citizen.
© Getty Images
10 / 33 Fotos
Sergey Brin
- Originally from Moscow, Russia, the co-founder of Google changed the way the world uses the Internet. He also happens to be one of the richest individuals in the world.
© Getty Images
11 / 33 Fotos
Pierce Brosnan
- It turns out James Bond is also an American citizen. This has been the case since 2004, which was 22 years after Pierce Brosnan moved to the country from his native Ireland.
© Getty Images
12 / 33 Fotos
Camila Cabello
- The famous singer was born in Cuba to Cuban and Mexican parents. At age six, she crossed the US border with her mother. "My parents brought me to this country with nothing in their pockets but hope," said Cabello. She became an American citizen in 2008.
© Getty Images
13 / 33 Fotos
Mila Kunis
- Milena Markovna Kunis was born in 1983 in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Her family moved to LA in 1991. Shortly after, she started acting, and the rest is history.
© Getty Images
14 / 33 Fotos
Madeleine Albright
- The first woman to serve as United States Secretary of State was also an immigrant. Madeleine Albright was born in Prague, Czech Republic, and moved from Europe to America in 1948.
© Getty Images
15 / 33 Fotos
Levi Strauss
- The fashion trailblazer was born in Germany in 1829. Levi Strauss moved to America in 1847, and a few years later everyone was wearing jeans with his name on them.
© Getty Images
16 / 33 Fotos
Bruce Willis
- The 'Die Hard' star was born in Germany, where his father was stationed at an American military base. In 1957, his family moved to Carneys Point Township, New Jersey.
© Getty Images
17 / 33 Fotos
Neil Young
- The legendary singer-songwriter didn't have his papers in order when he moved from Canada to the US: he was an illegal immigrant with no work visa. Young went on to become a highly successful music artist. He still has his Canadian citizenship, but spends most of his time in the US.
© Getty Images
18 / 33 Fotos
Oscar de la Renta
- Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 1932 to a Puerto Rican father and a Dominican mother, Oscar de la Renta was one of the world's top fashion designers. He moved to the US in the 1960s, and passed away in 2014 at his home in Kent, Connecticut.
© Getty Images
19 / 33 Fotos
Nikola Tesla
- The famous inventor was born in 1856 in Smiljan, a village in modern-day Croatia, which was then part of the Austrian Empire. In June 1884, Tesla moved to New York City, and in 1891 he became a US citizen.
© Getty Images
20 / 33 Fotos
Guillermo del Toro
- The Oscar-winning filmmaker is from Guadalajara, Mexico. He moved to America in the late '90s, and spends his time between his residences in Los Angeles and Toronto.
© Getty Images
21 / 33 Fotos
Maureen O'Hara
- The famous actress was born in Ranelagh, County Dublin, Ireland. In 1946, she became the first Irish immigrant to have "Irish" designated as her nationality. Prior to that, Irish people who were granted US citizenship were designated as "English."
© Getty Images
22 / 33 Fotos
Carlos Santana
- Hailing from Autlán de Navarro, Mexico, the famous guitarist crossed the border in the early '60s and became a citizen in 1965.
© Getty Images
23 / 33 Fotos
Charlize Theron
- The actress was born in South Africa. Theron moved to the United States during her modeling career. She then moved to LA to pursue a career in Hollywood, and obviously made it! She was granted US citizenship in 2007.
© Getty Images
24 / 33 Fotos
Sammy Sosa
- The baseball star was born in Consuelo, Dominican Republic. He became an American citizen in 1995 and resides in Florida.
© Getty Images
25 / 33 Fotos
Liam Neeson
- The 'Taken' actor was born in Northern Ireland. He moved to Hollywood in the late 1980s, but did not become a US citizen until 2009. Neeson now lives in upstate New York.
© Getty Images
26 / 33 Fotos
Cesar Millan
- The "Dog Whisperer" hails from Culiacán, Mexico. He crossed the border illegally in 1990 with US$100 in his pocket and a dream. He became a United States citizen in 2009, and lives in LA.
© Getty Images
27 / 33 Fotos
Alex Trebek
- The famous 'Jeopardy!' host hailed from Sudbury, Ontario, in Canada. Alex Trebek became a naturalized US citizen in 1998.
© Getty Images
28 / 33 Fotos
Salma Hayek
- Salma Hayek is originally from Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, and went on to become a Hollywood star. She became a US citizen in 2013.
© Getty Images
29 / 33 Fotos
Arianna Huffington
- The co-founder of The Huffington Post was born in Greece and moved to the US in 1980. Arianna Huffington has been listed in both Forbes' list of Most Powerful Women, and in Time magazine's list of the world's 100 Most Influential People.
© Getty Images
30 / 33 Fotos
Andrew Carnegie
- Coming from a working class background in Scotland, Carnegie went on to become one of the richest men—and most generous philanthropists—in America.
© Getty Images
31 / 33 Fotos
Christiane Amanpour
- The famous journalist and television host moved stateside to study in college. Amanpour was born in the UK to a Persian father and British mother. She studied in Iran before moving back to England, and then the US. Sources: (Insider) (Buzzworthy) See also: How the origins of America’s immigrants have changed over the years
© Getty Images
32 / 33 Fotos
Famous immigrants who make America great
The American dream became a reality for these folks
© Getty Images
America was, and continues to be, built by immigrants. A melting pot of different cultures and influences shaped the country and made it into the great nation that it is today. Many of these immigrants became prominent figures in the US, and indeed around the world.
From Hollywood stars to politicians, in this gallery we list some of the immigrants who make America great. Click on!
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