May 26, 2018
Nine Iranian-Americans have been recognized in the 2018 Ellis Island Medals of Honor, which celebrate Americans, both native-born and immigrants, who make outstanding contributions to their communities and promote the values of “tolerance, brotherhood, diversity and patriotism.”
The awards ceremony took place May 12, with 91 Americans being honored with the medal this year.
The Iranian-Americans receiving the 2018 medals are:
• Maryam Banikarim, global marketing expert, most recently global chief marketing officer for Hyatt Hotels.
• Farnaz Fassihi, journalist, senior writer for The Wall Street Journal.
• Angella Nazarian, author, advocate for women in leadership.
• David Nazarian, businessman, philanthropist.
• Hadi Partovi, CEO of Code, a non-profit organization building access to computer science in schools and supporting women and minorities in the field.
• Khosrow Semnani, philanthropist and founder of the Semnani Family Foundation, author, industrialist and entrepreneur in Utah.
• Ardeshir Tavangarian, architect, designer, engineer.
• Masood Tayebi, investment and business entrepreneur.
• The Late Dr. Bahman Atefi, nuclear engineer and former CEO of Alion Science and Technology. (Although the society does not award medals posthumously, Atefi died suddenly in March, and had already been selected before his death.)
The ceremony takes place each year on Ellis Island, which was the main point of entry for 12 million immigrants between 1892 and 1954, and is the symbol of immigration into the United States and houses a major museum on the history of US immigration.
The Ellis Island Society, which also raises funds to help maintain the island, founded the honors in 1986.
