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2009 Family Heritage Award honorees
Jerry Seinfeld, Dr. Eric R. Kandel, Gloria Estefan, Emilio Estefan and Joe Namath. |
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THE ELLIS ISLAND FAMILY HERITAGE AWARDS
On May 19, 2009 in the historic Great Hall on Ellis Island five esteemed individuals
were honored by The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. for their
contributions to the American Tapestry.
The 8th Annual
Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards, given annually to a select number
of Port of New York and Ellis Island immigrants or their descendants, along with the
B.C. Forbes Peopling of America Award were presented by Stephen A. Briganti, President
and CEO of the Foundation, and Thomas L. Strickland, Assistant Secretary of the Interior
for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, in an 11:00 a.m. ceremony hosted by actress Candice
Bergen at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.
This year’s event initiated the B.C. Forbes Peopling of America Award, sponsored by the
Forbes Family in honor of family patriarch B.C. “Bertie” Forbes, who immigrated to America
from Scotland in 1904. The Ellis Island honorees received a framed copy of the original
ship’s passenger manifest documenting the arrival of their family in America.
The 2009 Ellis Island Family Heritage Award recipients are:
SPORTS
Joe Namath — Born in Beaver Falls, PA, Mr. Namath received a
Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Alabama. The iconic quarterback led
his New York Jets to a legendary upset in Super Bowl III. The game’s first true
media superstar was elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. His father Janos
John) immigrated to America from Hungary in 1920. His mother, Rose Juhasz, born in
America, was also the daughter of Hungarian immigrants.
SCIENCE/MEDICINE
Dr. Eric R. Kandel — Awarded the 2000 Nobel Prize for Physiology
or Medicine for his contribution to understanding the molecular basis of memory storage.
Currently University Professor at Columbia, Fred Kavli Professor and Director, Kavli
Institute for Brain Science and Senior Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Dr. Kandel came to America from Vienna, Austria as a child in 1939.
ENTERTAINMENT
Jerry Seinfeld — The Brooklyn-born comedian’s first successful spot
on The Tonight Show launched his career. He teamed up with Larry David in 1989 to create
and star in the celebrated TV series Seinfeld which ran for nine seasons on NBC and is
still shown in syndication. Mr. Seinfeld is currently executive producing the real life
comedy, The Marriage Ref, for NBC. His maternal grandparents emigrated from Syria.
B.C. FORBES PEOPLING OF AMERICA AWARD
Gloria and Emilio Estefan — This Award honors immigrants who arrived after
the Ellis era or through another port. Gloria and Emilio Estefan both fled Cuba with their
respective families after the rise of Fidel Castro. They met in a local Miami band in 1975
and the rest is history. Gloria is a world-renowned recording artist, and Emilio one of
America’s most successful music and television producers. The Estefans support many
charities including their Gloria Estefan Foundation dedicated to childhood illnesses,
paralysis research and animals. Emilio wrote and produced Gloria’s latest chart topping album
90 Millas, a tribute to their native Cuba.
2009 Awards photo page
More
on Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards
2008 Recipients |
2007 Recipients |
2006 Recipients |
2005 Recipients |
2004 Recipients |
2003 Recipients |
2001 Recipients
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