5 Extraordinary Women Immigrants
Celebrate Women’s History Month by learning about these accomplished women immigrants.
Throughout history, women have been at the forefront of scientific innovation, social change, and technological advancements. In the United States, many of those exceptional women have also been immigrants. For Women’s History Month 2022, I would love to share just five of these incredible women immigrants:
Rihanna:
This A-list music artist needs no introduction. Originally from Barbados, Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty left high school and moved to the United States in 2005 after signing a major record deal. Her leap of faith paid off: she has sold over 250 million records globally and has won nine Grammy Awards. She has also ventured into acting, performing in Bates Motel and Ocean’s 8. Among her latest successes has been the Fenty Beauty cosmetics line, which was named by Time Magazine as one of the best inventions of 2017. The brand, which now offers 50 shades and concealer and foundation, quickly became a hit because of its inclusivity.
Hedy Lamarr:
Calling all classic film buffs! One of the most celebrated actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Hedy Lamarr, was an immigrant from Austria. In 1937, she moved to London, then to the United States, in order to escape an increasingly-abusive husband and her country’s growing Nazism. Lamarr’s acting career quickly took off with starring roles in Algiers, Lady of the Tropics, and Sampson and Delilah. In addition to her artistic talents, she was an innovative engineer. She and friend George Antheil developed “frequency hopping” radio technology to help prevent Axis powers from blocking the American military’s radio waves during World War 2. This is the technology that later enabled and led the way to GPS, WiFI and Bluetooth technologies, and landed her a posthumous recognition in the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Pramila Jayapal:
This record-breaking US representative represents the 7th Congressional district in Washington state. An immigrant from Chennai, India, Jayapal moved to the United States to attend Georgetown University and then Northwestern University. She is the first Indian-American woman to serve in the House of Representatives and the first Asian-American to represent Washington state in Congress. She has been a fierce advocate for other immigrants, founding the Hate Free Zone organization that works to register new American citizens to vote and on other immigrant issues.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross:
Perhaps a lesser-known name on this list, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross is credited with creating the widely familiar “five stages of grief” theory, which outlines the stages of grief after an upsetting event: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Kubler-Ross was an immigrant from Switzerland whose experiences volunteering with Holocaust survivors left a deep impression and inspired her to pursue a career in psychiatry to help others.
Carolina Herrera:
Any fashion-lover will be familiar with this Venezualan-born fashion designer who has made her mark dressing First Ladies such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump, and celebrities like Diana, Duchess of Cadaval and actress Renée Zellweger. Herrera moved to the fashion capital of New York in 1980 and was encouraged to start her fashion line after making the hall of fame of the International Best Dressed List that same year. She has been recognized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, earning their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
