Alexander Hamilton Immigrant Achievement Awards

New York has always been considered a city of immigrants. For almost 400 years, the city has taken great pride in its ability to attract immigrants from other countries and encourage them to develop their talents so that they can succeed far beyond what they would have achieved in the land from which they came.

The Lower Manhattan Historical Association, an entity formed to promote New York City’s history, celebrates and highlights this by awarding individ-uals who exemplify this spirit. This award is named in honor of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s greatest immigrants. Hamilton arrived in the United States as a 16-year-old orphan. He died in 1804 at the age of 47, after having been a key aide to George Washington in the Revolutionary War. As the first Secretary of the Treasury, he created the nation’s financial system and promoted its manufacturing economy. It was a result of his efforts that Wall Street became the nation’s financial center.

The Alexander Hamilton Immigrant Achievement Awards are awarded to American citizens who were born outside the United States, but have made outstanding contributions to Lower Manhattan and New York as residents of the state. Most of the awardees are individuals who, like Alexander Hamilton, came to the United States while relatively young, became U.S. citizens, lived here for a significant period of time and have made significant achievements.