Honoring the Hands That Built America

Every October 28, we pause on National Immigrants Day to honor a truth at the heart of our nation: with the exception of our indigenous people, every one of us has roots that began somewhere else. America was not born from one people but from many—people who left behind family and familiarity to seek freedom, opportunity, and a fair chance at life. Together, they built the country we now call home.

Before 1890, each state managed immigration on its own. But as millions of Europeans fled political unrest, poverty, and religious persecution, the federal government stepped in to manage the growing flow of arrivals. Two years later, Ellis Island opened in New York Harbor, and for more than sixty years, it served as the gateway to America. From 1892 to 1954, over 12 million immigrants passed through its halls carrying family photographs, dreams, and the hope of a better life.

They came from England and Ireland, Scotland and Italy, Poland and Greece, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, Latin America and the African Continent, and the list goes on. Many didn’t speak English, and few had much money. But they had the kind of courage that builds nations. In exchange for pledging allegiance to the United States and its Constitution, they gained something greater than what they’d left behind: the freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

That spirit lives on today. Immigrants continue to strengthen every corner of American life—as doctors and teachers, farmers and builders, innovators and neighbors. Their contributions remind us that America’s greatness comes from welcoming those who believe in what this country stands for.

On this National Immigrants Day, we honor the determination, resilience, and love of country that immigrants have brought, and continue to bring to our shared home.