: Immigrants gather at a rally in Corona

Click here to read their stories

The United States is a country of immigrants, and Queens is no different. From the earliest settlers from the Mayflower to the current surge from South Asia in Richmond Hill, we are a county comprised of people who have sought better lives than the ones offered in our homelands.

Though immigrants have populated this country from shore to shore, it would be hard to find a place where the current surge of migration is more prevalent than in New York City. We have historically been the beacon of light, with Lady Liberty’s torch shining bright in our harbor to welcome strangers to our shores and to embrace them with open arms.

As of the 2000 Census, 46 percent of the 2.2 million residents of Queens were not born in this country. That is the highest percentage of immigrants in New York City and puts Queens No. 2 in the country behind Miami for counties with the largest foreign-born population.

Inside the pages of this Tribune special edition, you will hear the stories of the people who came to this country and decided to make Queens their home. They left their native lands to find prosperity, peace, hope, safety and all other aspects of the American Dream that those who were born here may not appreciate as fully.

And as we look at their stories, we may see tales of our families, of those who came over a generation ago, a century ago or hundreds of years ago. And we may say to ourselves: “They share the same story as my family. Their lives are no different from the lives of my forefathers.”

Click here to read their stories