Famous Immigrant Birthdays in August

CitizenPath recognizes August birthdays for famous, accomplished and notable immigrant Americans. Thank an immigrant for making the USA great. History has proven that immigrants help spur creativity, invention and new job growth. Immigration reform will help the best and brightest doctors, engineers, entertainers and entrepreneurs stay in the United States. Our list features foreign-born persons who became permanent residents or citizens of the United States.

Isabel Allende, Chilean American immigrant
Photo credit: Mutari

Isabel Allende (born August 2, 1942) is a Chilean American writer best known for novels such as The House of the Spirits (La casa de los espíritus, 1982) and City of the Beasts (La ciudad de las bestias, 2002).

Raoul Wallenberg, honorary US citizen from Sweden
 

Raoul Wallenberg (August 4, 1912 – July 17, 1947) was a Swedish architect, diplomat and humanitarian. He is recognized for rescuing thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust. The U.S. awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal and honorary U.S. citizenship in 1981.

Patrick Ewing, Jamaican American immigrant
Photo credit: Lpdrew

Patrick Aloysius Ewing, Sr. (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican American retired Hall of Fame basketball player. Ewing won gold medals as a member of two U.S. Olympic basketball teams, and he was an 11-time All-Star, playing most of his career with the NBA’s New York Knicks.

M Night Symalan, Indian American immigrant, one of many famous immigrant birthdays in August
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore

Manoj Shyamalan (born August 6, 1970), known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots including The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, and The Happening.

Charlize Theron, South African American immigrant
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore

Charlize Theron (born August 7, 1975) is a South African and American actress, director, and fashion model. Theron received critical acclaim for her role in Monster, for which she won the Silver Bear, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Academy Award for Best Actress.

Alfred Hitchcock, English American immigrant
 

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980) was an English American film director and producer. Nicknamed “The Master of Suspense,” Hitchcock pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres.

Catherine Bell, English American immigrant of Iranian descent
Photo credit: U.S. Department of Defense

Catherine Lisa Bell (born August 14, 1968) is an English American actress of Iranian descent known for her role as Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie of the television series JAG and as Denise Sherwood of the series Army Wives.

Mila Kunis, Ukrainian American immigrant, one of several famous immigrant birthdays in August
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore

Milena Markovna “Mila” Kunis (born August 14, 1983) is a Ukrainian American television and film actress who earned her break out role playing Jackie Burkhart on the television series That ’70s Show. She has since appeared in numerous films.

Maureen O'Hara, Irish American immigrant
 

Maureen O’Hara (August 17, 1920 - October 24, 2015) was an Irish American actress and singer. Nicknamed "The Queen of Technicolor," O'Hara had a highly successful career, appearing in numerous films such as the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street.

Steve Chen, Chinese American immigrant, one of many notable immigrant birthdays in August
Photo credit: Joi Ito

Steven Shih “Steve” Chen (born August 18, 1978) is a Chinese American internet entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder and previous CTO of YouTube. After selling YouTube to Google, Chen went on to create other internet businesses.

Charles B. Wang (born August 19, 1944) is a Chinese American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded CA Technologies and grew it into one of America's largest independent software vendors. He is currently a minority owner of the NHL’s New York Islanders and active philanthropist.

Morten Anderson, Danish American immigrant
Photo credit: Sam Judge

Morten Andersen (born August 19, 1960) is a Danish American former professional football player who was a kicker for 25 seasons in the National Football League. The seven-time Pro Bowler made two All-Decade Teams and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

Sergey Brin, Russian American immigrant, one of many notable immigrant birthdays in August
Photo credit: JD Lasica

Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin (born August 21, 1973) is a Russian American computer scientist and entrepreneur who co-founded Google, the world’s most popular internet search engine.

Sir Sean Connery, Scottish American immigrant
Photo credit: Nationaal Archief

Sir Sean Connery (August 25, 1930 - October 31, 2020) was a Scottish American actor who starred in dozens of highly-successful and critically-acclaimed films, including seven Bond films. His talents were recognized with an Academy Award, three Golden Globes, and several other accolades.

Gene Simmons, Israeli American immigrant
Photo credit: Glenn Francis

Gene Simmons (born August 25, 1949) is an Israeli American singer-songwriter, bass guitarist, entrepreneur, and actor. Simmons gained notoriety as the bass guitarist/co-lead vocalist of Kiss, a rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.

Mother Teresa, honorary US citizen
Photo credit: King Kong Photo

Mother Teresa (August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997) was a Roman Catholic Religious Sister who helped thousands of the “poorest of the poor” through her Missionaries of Charity. She was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize and granted honorary U.S. citizenship in 1996.

Tony Kanal, English American immigrant
Photo credit: RideTheLightning

Tony Ashwin Kanal (born August 27, 1970) is an English American musician, record producer and songwriter. Kanal is best known as the bassist for the American rock band No Doubt.

Cesar Millan, Mexican American immigrant
Photo credit: Valder Beebe Show

Cesar Millan (born August 27, 1969) is a Mexican American dog trainer and television personality. Millan is a self-taught expert who became well-known through his popular TV program Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, broadcast in several countries.

Itzhak Perlman (born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli American violinist, conductor, and pedagogue. Perlman was won multiple Grammy Awards and was featured on the cover of Newsweek magazine in 1980.

Sara Ramirez, Mexican American immigrant
Photo credit: The Heart Truth

Sara Elena Ramirez (born August 31, 1975) is a Mexican American singer/songwriter and actress. She is well known for her role as Dr. Callie Torres in the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy and as the original Lady of the Lake in the Broadway musical Spamalot, for which she won a Tony Award.

Would you like to add more famous immigrant birthdays in August? Share them with us on Twitter. Include the person’s name and birthday.

Throughout our nation's history, immigrant contributions have been astonishing. CitizenPath stands behind immigrants and their families. Every day, we’re working to make the path a little easier. Our online immigration services help individuals navigate the immigration system. It’s our honor to serve this role.

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