Famous U.S. Immigrants

Actor Roddy McDowall had a recurring role on the Batman television series, and played Cornelius in the film and TV versions of 'Planet of the Apes.'

Chow Yun-Fat was named "The Coolest Actor in the World," by the Los Angeles Times in 1995. He starred in the Chinese action film 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.'

M. Night Shyamalan is a filmmaker and screenwriter known for focusing on supernatural plots. He is best known for directing 'The Sixth Sense,' which was released in 1999 to wide acclaim, including six Academy Award nominations.

Elaine L. Chao became the first Asian-American woman to serve in a Cabinet-level position when George W. Bush appointed her Secretary of Labor in 2001.

Yao Ming is a Chinese basketball player who became an international star as a center for the Houston Rockets of the NBA.

Chinese-American actress Ming-Na is best known for her portrayal of Dr. Deb Chen on the medical drama 'ER.'

Pramila Jayapal is congresswoman representing Washington since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she became the first Indian-American woman to serve in the House of Representatives.

Siegfried Fischbacher was one-half of the performing duo Siegfried and Roy.

Actor Haing S. Ngor endured persecution and numerous atrocities under the Khmer Rouge before moving to the U.S. and starring in 'The Killing Fields.'

Media magnate Rupert Murdoch is the founder and head of News Corporation, a global media conglomerate. He created Fox Broadcasting Company in 1986.

Arnold Schwarzenegger first gained fame as a bodybuilder, using that as a launching point to become a huge Hollywood star and, later, the governor of California.

Helena Rubinstein was a Polish entrepreneur best known for her global cosmetics empire.

Natalie Portman is an Oscar-winning, Israeli American actress known for her role in films such as 'Black Swan,' 'Jackie,' 'Thor' and the 'Star Wars' franchise.

Stokely Carmichael was a Trinidadian American civil rights activist known for leading the SNCC and the Black Panther Party in the 1960s.

Jamaican singer, musician and songwriter Bob Marley served as a world ambassador for reggae music and sold more than 20 million records throughout his career.

Alex Trebek served as the host of 'Jeopardy!,' one of the most popular game shows in television history, for more than 30 years.

London-born broadcast journalist Christiane Amanpour has covered some of the world's most newsworthy events for CNN, ABC and CBS.

Cuban-American superstar Gloria Estefan fronted the band Miami Sound Machine. Songs like "Conga" and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" topped the charts in the 1980s and 1990s and became pop classics.

Author Ayn Rand wrote the best-selling books 'The Fountainhead' and 'Atlas Shrugged,' and promoted the philosophy of Objectivism.

Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist and author of 'Things Fall Apart,' a work that in part led to his being called the 'patriarch of the African novel.'

Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, responsible for hits such as 'Both Sides Now' and 'Big Yellow Taxi,' is widely considered 1960s and '70s folk royalty.

Neil Young is one of the most influential songwriters and guitarists of his generation, known for recording such favorites as "Old Man," "Harvest Moon" and "Heart of Gold."

Yul Brynner was an actor known for his roles in 'The King and I,' 'The Ten Commandments' and 'The Magnificent Seven.'

Irving Berlin was one of the most prolific and popular songwriters of the 20th century, counting among his many hits "White Christmas" and "Cheek to Cheek."