Alexander Hamilton Immigrant Achievement Awards

The Alexander Hamilton Immigrant Achievement Awards are awarded to foreign-born naturalized citizens of the United States of America who have made outstanding contributions to Lower Manhattan and New York City.

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.

Abby Suckle 3/14/25 Abby Suckle 3/14/25

2025 Alexander Hamilton Immigrant Achievement Award Honorees

Graeme Birchall, President, Downtown Boathouse; Daniel Libeskind, Architect, Studio Libeskind, Ya-Ting Liu, Chief Public Realm Officer Mayor’s Office - Deputy Mayor for Operations, Marcus Samuelsson, Chef and Restaurateur

Graeme Birchall, New Zealand (President, Downtown Boathouse)

Daniel Libeskind, Poland (Architect, Studio Libeskind)

Ya-Ting Liu, Taiwan (Chief Public Realm Officer Mayor’s Office - Deputy Mayor for Operations)

Marcus Samuelsson, Ethiopia (Chef and Restaurateur)

Download Program

Alexander Hamilton Immigrant Achievement Awards 2025

Presentation

Abby Suckle 10/2/23 Abby Suckle 10/2/23

2023 Alexander Hamilton Immigrant Achievement Award Honorees

Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, Distinguished Professor Malcolm Bowman, The Honorable Judge Denny Chin, Architect Yvonne Szeto, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, Dominican Republic (New York City Department of Transportation)

Distinguished Professor Malcolm Bowman, New Zealand (School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, SUNY Stony Brook)

The Honorable Judge Denny Chin, Hong Kong (United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit)

Yvonne Szeto, Hong Kong (Design Partner, Pei Cobb Freed Architects)

Jean-Georges Vongerichten, France (Chef & Restaurateur)

Download Program

The Alexander Hamilton Immigrant Achievement Award

Introduction by Ambrose M. Richardson President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association

Jimmy Cleckley, Chief of Operations, National Park Service, US Dept of the Interior

Captain Jonathan Boulware, President & CEO, South Street Seaport Museum

US Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg

Ambrose M. Richardson, President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association; Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, New York City Department of Transportation; Captain Jonathan Boulware, President & CEO, South Street Seaport Museum

Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, New York City Department of Transportation

Bob Yaro, Professor Emeritus University of Pennsylvania

Ambrose M. Richardson, President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association; Jonathan Goldstick; Samuel Jackson, Professor Malcolm Bowman

Jonathan Goldstick; Samuel Jackson, Professor Malcolm Bowman

Daniel Gutman; Jonathan Goldstick; Professor Malcolm Bowman; Samuel Jackson

Professor Malcolm Bowman

US Representative Daniel Goldman

Tevin Williams. Director of Community and External Affairs (Office of Congressman Dan Goldman). U.S. House of Representatives; The Honorable Judge Denny Chin, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

The Honorable Judge Denny Chin, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President

Yvonne Szeto, Design Partner, Pei Cobb Freed Architects

Ambrose M. Richardson, President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association; Yvonne Szeto, Design Partner, Pei Cobb Freed Architects; Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President

Marco Pasanella, Pasanella & Sons Vintners

Ambrose M. Richardson, President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association; Marco Pasanella, Pasanella & Sons Vintners

Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs

Abby Suckle, Vice President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association

Catherine McVay Hughes, LMHA Director; Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President

Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President; Captain Jonathan Boulware, President & CEO, South Street Seaport Museum; Abby Suckle, Vice President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association

Ambrose M. Richardson, President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association; Abby Suckle, Vice President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association

The Honorable Judge Denny Chin, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; Abby Suckle, Vice President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association; John Herzog, Founder Museum of American Finance, Director LMHA, Catherine McVay Hughes, Director LMHA

Enrique Che Cantu, Senior Policy Advisor for Federal Immigration; Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President; Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs; Captain Jonathan Boulware, President & CEO, South Street Seaport Museum

The Alexander Hamilton Immigrant Achievement Award

Introduction by Ambrose M. Richardson President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association

Captain Jonathan Boulware, President & CEO, South Street Seaport Museum

Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, New York City Department of Transportation

Ambrose M. Richardson, President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association; Jonathan Goldstick; Samuel Jackson, Professor Malcolm Bowman

Jonathan Goldstick; Samuel Jackson, Professor Malcolm Bowman

Daniel Gutman; Jonathan Goldstick; Professor Malcolm Bowman; Samuel Jackson

The Honorable Judge Denny Chin, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President

Yvonne Szeto, Design Partner, Pei Cobb Freed Architects

Ambrose M. Richardson, President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association; Yvonne Szeto, Design Partner, Pei Cobb Freed Architects; Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President

Marco Pasanella, Pasanella & Sons Vintners

Ambrose M. Richardson, President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association; Marco Pasanella, Pasanella & Sons Vintners

Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs

Abby Suckle, Vice President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association

Catherine McVay Hughes, LMHA Director; Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President

Ambrose M. Richardson, President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association; Abby Suckle, Vice President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association

US Representative Daniel Goldman

US Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg

Abby Suckle 10/10/22 Abby Suckle 10/10/22

2022 Alexander Hamilton Immigrant Achievement Award Honorees

Wellington Z. Chen, Michael Arad, Commissioner Manual Castro

Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mexico (Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs)

Wellington Z. Chen, Formosa, Hong Kong (Executive Director, Chinatown BID/Partnership)

Michael Arad, Israel (Architect)

Award Winners Wellington Z. Chen, Michael Arad, and Commissioner Manuel Castro

Awardees & Board Members

Commissioner Manuel Castro, Suzanne DiGeronimo, Louis DiGeribnimo, Abby Suckle, Wellington Z. Chen, Michael Arad, Catherine McVeigh Hughes, James Kaplan, Ambrose Richardson, Peter Hein

Award Winners with the NY State Citations

Wellington Z. Chen, Executive Director, Chinatown BID/Partnership; Michael Arad, Architect; Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and Yu-Line Niou New York State Assemblymember District 65

Award Winners

Wellington Z. Chen, Executive Director, Chinatown BID/Partnership; Michael Arad, Architect; Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and Yuh-Line Niou, New York State Assemblymember District 65

Award Winners

Wellington Z. Chen, Executive Director, Chinatown BID/Partnership; Michael Arad, Architect; Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs

Wellington Z. Chen, former NYC Council Member Margaret Chin and 2016 Awardee

Peter Feinman, Board Member, LMHA

and Founder and President of the Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education

The Award

Arthur Piccolo, Co-Founder LMHA and Chairman Bowling Green Association with Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs

Tina Lee, Managing Director World Journal, Wellington Z. Chen, Awardee, and Catherine McVeigh Hughes

Donald Chu, Wellington Z. Chen

Brian P. Kavanagh, New York State Senator District 26

Christopher Marte, New York City Council Member District 1

Yuh-Line Niou, New York State Assemblymember District 65

Peter Feinman, Board Member LMHA, President and Founder, Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education

James S. Kaplan, Co-Founder and Chairman Lower Manhattan Historical Association

James S. Kaplan, Co-Founder and Chairman Lower Manhattan Historical Association, 2016 Awardee Margaret Chin, former NY City Council Member, and Jean Claude Gruffat, 2018 Awardee and Investment Banker

Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President

Awardee Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs

Tina Lee, Managing Director, World Journal

Michael Arad, 2022 Awardee

Commissioner Manuel Castro and his wife

Louis DiGeronimo, Commissioner Manuel Castro, 2022 Awardee

Ambrose M. Richardson, President LMHA

Brian P. Kavanagh, New York State Senator Districgt 26

Peter Feinman LMHA Board Member, Founder and President, Institute of History, Archeology & Education

James S. Kaplan, Co-Founder & Chairman LMHA

Ambrose M. Richardson, President LMHA, Commissioner Manuel Castro, and Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President

Gale Brewer, New York City Council Member District 6 and Former Manhattan Borough President

Gale Brewer, New York City Council Member District 6 and Former Manhattan Borough President

Wellington Z. Chen Executive Director, Chinatown BID/Partnership

Ambrose M. Richardson, President LMHA, Michael Arad 2022 Awardee, and Gale Brewer New York City Council Member District 6 and Former Manhattan Borough President

Linda Russell, Artist